Auplopus comparatus (Smith)

Kurczewski, Frank E., West, Rick C. & Waichert, Cecilia, 2024, New host records for Nearctic and Neotropical spider wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), Insecta Mundi 2024 (34), pp. 1-32 : 15

Auplopus comparatus (Smith)

FRENCH GUIANA: Cayenne State, Matoury County; 30 July 2023, 1303 PM; C. Marty. Host: Macrinus sp. ( Sparassidae ), sex undetermined due to detached pedipalps. The wasp straddled the huntsman spider dorsal side upward, grasped its right chelicera with her mandibles, and proceeded forwarded across the ground ( Fig. 4 ; Marty 2023).

This is the first host record and new family and genus for Auplopus comparatus . Prey transport in Auplopus Spinola species is always forward and nearly always ventral side upward, the female grasping the spider’s spinnerets with her mandibles ( Evans and Yoshimoto 1962; Kurczewski et al. 2020, 2022b). Neotropical Auplopus diversity is large enough that divergent prey transport behavior is expected in some of the species, as in this observation of A. comparatus .

Figures

Figures 1–6. Pompilid species with host spiders. 1) Calopompilus pyrrhomelas (Walker) with Eucteniza?panchovillai Bond and Godwin (Euctenizidae), adult female. © Miguee Sykes. 2) Pepsis cassiope Mocsáry with Ancylometes bogotensis (Keyserling) (Ctenidae), adult or subadult female. © Hilde Vandevoorde. 3) Priocnessus nuperus (Cresson) with Rabidosa punctulata (Hentz) (Lycosidae), adult or subadult female. © Rachel Miller. 4) Auplopus comparatus (Smith) with Macrinus sp. (Sparassidae). © Christian Marty. 5) Ageniella (Ageniella) cupida (Cresson) species-group with Coras sp. (Agelenidae), penultimate male. © Herschel Raney. 6)?Aridestus bergi (Holmberg) with unidentified host species (Theraphosidae, Theraphosinae), immature.© Antonino Gonçalves Medina.