Anoplius (Arachnophroctonus) americanus ambiguus (Dahlbom, 1845)

Waichert, Cecilia, Rodriguez, Juanita, Von Dohlen, Carol D. & Pitts, James P., 2012, Spider wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) of the Dominican Republic, Zootaxa 3353 (1), pp. 1-47 : 24-25

Anoplius (Arachnophroctonus) americanus ambiguus (Dahlbom, 1845)

( Fig. 2F , 6A)

Pompilus ambiguus Dahlbom, 1845 , Hymenoptera Europaea Praecipue Borealia , sup. 1, p. 452 [Holotype: ♀, MEXICO, (MZLU)].

Pompilus coruscus Smith, 1855 , Catalogue of hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Mutillidae and Pompilidae , part III, p. 156 [Holotype: ♀, Santo Domingo (BMNH)].

Pompilus juxtus Cresson, 1865 , Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia, vol. 4, p.128 [Holotype: ♀, CUBA (ANSP)].

Pompilus subargenteus Cresson, 1865 , Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia, vol. 4, p. 129 [Holotype: ♀, Cuba (IZAC)].

Anoplius puella Banks, 1941 , Canadian Entomologist, vol. 73, p. 121 [Holotype: ♀, TEXAS, Galveston (MCZC)].

Pompilinus orthodes Banks, 1944 , Zoologica, vol. 29, p. 112 [Holotype: ♀, BRITISH GUIANA, Georgetown (MCZC)].

Anoplius varunus Banks, 1947 , Harvard College, vol. 99, p. 419 [Holotype: ♀, BRITISH GUIANA, New Amsterdam (MCZC)].

Diagnosis. This subspecies can be recognized by the following unique combination of characters: the third antennal segment is more than 2.0 × as long as wide; the 1cu-a vein meets the M+Cu vein at or slightly off the origin of the M; the Cul vein is distinctly deflected downward at the base forming a posterior pocket in the second medial cell; and the fore wing has three radial sectors. Additionally, the female ( Fig. 6A) has black integument on the head, mesosoma and legs; the metasoma is bright orange-brown basally; the front tarsi have a tarsal rake; and the pronotum has the collar differentiated from the disc. The male ( Fig. 6B) is entirely black, sometimes has a whitish stripe on the posterior margin of the pronotum, and the basal portion of the metasoma is sometimes orangebrown.

Material examined. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: 1 ♂, Independencia, Sierra de Bahoruco, north slope, 13.5 km SE Puerto Escondido, (18–12–24N, 71–30–54W), 1807 m, 24–26.III.2004, broadleaf Pinus dense woodland, yellow pan trap, sample 41263, R. Davidson et al. CMNH –370,183; 1 ♂, La Vega, Cordillera Central , 4.1 km SW El Convento, (18–50–37N, 70–42–48W), 1730 m, 31.V.2003, dense secondary evergreen forest with pine, yellow pan trap, sample 22262, J. Rawlins et al. CMNH –370,284; 1 ♀, 2 ♂, Distrito Nacional Haina , 1.XI.1986, W. J. Pulawski ( CAS) ; 1 ♀, 2 ♂, Provincia Hato Mayor, Farm Mango Limpio (25 km NW Hato Mayor), 29.X.1986, W. J. Pulawski ( CAS) ; 1 ♀, Provincia Pedernales, Oviedo , 5.XI.1986, W. J. Pulawski ( CAS) ; 1 ♀, Provincia Barahona, Barahona, 3.XI.1986, W. J. Pulawski ( CAS); Punta Cana, Biodiversity Center, 5–7.X.08, Y[ellow] P[an] T[rap], Sand Hill, SEL Hym .

Distribution. North coast of South America, Caribbean, Central America north to California, Utah, Kansas and Alabama ( Wasbauer & Kimsey 1985), Cuba ( Alayo 1976, Portuondo & Fernández 2003, Ferrer & Triana 2004), Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico ( Snelling & Torres 2004).

Host. Two Lycosidae ( Arctosa littoralis (Hentz) and Schizocosa crassipes (Walckenaer)) , one Thomisidae , and one Oxypidae ( Peucetia uiridans (Hentz)) hosts have been reported ( Evans 1951, Hurd & Wasbauer 1956, Evans & Yoshimoto 1962).

Remarks. The taxa of Anoplius with red metasoma found in the Dominican Republic are A. (Arachnophroctonus) americanus ambiguus and A. (A.) hispaniolae . These two taxa are similar in color pattern and are better separated by wing venation characters than coloration. In A. hispaniolae the 1cu-a vein of the fore wing meets the M+Cu vein slightly beyond the origin of the M ( Fig. 2G ), while in A. americanus ambiguus the 1cu-a vein meets the M+Cu vein at or slightly off the origin on the M ( Fig. 2F ). Anoplius americanus ambiguus is a highly variable subspecies with known polymorphism in the males ( Evans 1966). There are four forms reported by Evans (1966) according to the color of the metasoma and the amount of erect setae on the metasomal sterna. This species nests more often on sloping banks with a soil texture that is intermediate between sand and clay ( Evans 1951). Adults often visit plants and have been found at flowers and extrafloral nectaries. They are parasitized by Evagetes mohave (Banks) , a cleptoparasitic spider wasp ( Evans 1950). This species was reported for the Dominican Republic by Perez-Gelabert (2008) as Pompilus coruscus Smith.

Figures

FIGURE 2. A. Pepsis marginata: hind and fore wing, dorsal view, ♀. B. Auplopus bellus: propodeum, lateral view, ♂.C. Drepanaporus collaris: hind and fore wing, dorsal view, ♀. D. Anoplius fulgidus: fore and hind wing, dorsal view, ♀. E. Tachypompilus ferrugineus: fore wing, dorsal view, ♀. F. Anoplius americanus ambiguus: fore wing, dorsal view, ♀. G. Anoplius hispaniolae: fore wing, dorsal view, ♀. H. Drepanaporus antillarum: fore wing, ♀. I. Dipogon marlowei sp. nov.: fore wing, ♀.