Additional new and unusual host records for Western Hemisphere spider wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae)
Author
Kurczewski, Frank E.
1188 Converse Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30324
Author
West, Rick C.
6365 Willowpark Way, Sooke, BC, Canada V 9 Z 1 L 9
Author
Waichert, Cecilia
Complexo Biopráticas, Universidade Vila Velha, Vila Velha, State of Espirito Santo, Brazil
Author
Pitts, James P.
Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322
text
Insecta Mundi
2022
2022-04-29
2022
928
1
32
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.6533498
1942-1354
6533498
48EC3DE6-45D1-40E2-8C4D-2D8788058CAC
Ageniella
(
Alasagenia
)
flavipennis
(Banks)
BRAZIL
:
Rio de Janeiro State
,
Rio de Janeiro
,
Tijuca National Park
, Visitor’s Center
;
18 January 2021
;
R
. Dias. Host: Unidentified species (
Ctenidae
), adult or subadult female. The wasp straddled the recently captured, paralyzed wandering spider, examined it with her antennae as it laid dorsal side upward on the ground, and turned it onto its left side. She then detached the spider’s right legs at the trochanter-coxa joints using her mandibles. She also amputated the spider’s left legs at the trochanter-coxa joints. The wasp then ran across the ground, holding the delimbed host spider dorsal side upward while grasping the base of its chelicera with her mandibles. She stopped and paused, remaining atop her immobilized spider, on a green cement walkway (
Dias 2021a
).
BRAZIL
:
Rio de Janeiro State
,
Rio de Janeiro
,
Tijuca National Park
, Visitor’s Center
;
18 January 2021
;
R
. Dias. Host: Unidentified species (
Ctenidae
), adult or subadult female. The wasp ran up a vertical cement wall carrying an immobilized delimbed wandering spider, dorsal side upward, while grasping the base its chelicera with her mandibles. At the top she ran along the ledge to the end, then turned around and ran in the opposite direction to a tree growing against the wall. Without hesitating, the wasp with spider underneath continued running up the tree and out of sight (
Dias 2021b
).
BRAZIL
:
Rio de Janeiro State
,
Rio de Janeiro
,
Alto da Boa Vista
;
8 October 2017
; 1119;
R
.
Dias. Host
:?
Ctenus
sp.
, adult or subadult female.
The
wasp examined the paralyzed wandering spider with her mouthparts and antennae as it laid dorsal side upward on the ground.
She
then grasped its right chelicera with her mandibles and attempted to pull it backwards across the ground.
All
of the spider’s legs were intact (
Dias 2021c
). A subsequent very short video shows the spider with some of its legs amputated at the coxa-trochanter joints and lying on the ground (
Dias
2019;
Dias
,
Rio de Janeiro
,
Brazil
, 2021 pers. comm)
.