Ancistrocerus spinolae

Identification Atlas of the Vespidae (Hymenoptera, Aculeata) of the northeastern Nearctic region
CJAI 05, February 19, 2008
doi: 10.3752/cjai.2008.05

Matthias Buck, Stephen A. Marshall, and David K.B. Cheung

Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1

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10. Ancistrocerus spinolae (de Saussure, 1855)
Figs B3.4, 38; C10.1–3.

Species recognition. Structurally this species is very similar to the common and widespread A. antilope. The female is easily distinguished from A. antilope by the reduced yellow markings (absent from clypeus, mesopleuron, tegula, scutellum, terga 3–5), and strongly infuscated wings. The male is more similar to A. antilope in having the wings only moderately infuscated and metasomal terga 3–6 fasciate (after Bequaert 1925; the male of this rare species was not available for examination). Both sexes can be separated from A. antilope by the duller surface of the propodeum (see key).

Variation. Fore wing length ca. 12.5 mm (♀♀). Apical fascia of tergum 2 sometimes reduced or absent in female (Bequaert 1944a). The number of specimens available for study was insufficient to study variation.

Distribution. Canada: newly recorded from ON. Eastern U.S.: CT south to FL, west to MI, IL, MO, TX (Krombein 1979).

Biology. Nests in borings in wood and old mud-dauber nests. Nest partitions and closing plugs are made of agglutinated sand. Prey consists of caterpillars (Krombein 1967, 1979).

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