Parancistrocerus perennis

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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48. Parancistrocerus perennis (de Saussure, 1857)
Figs B7.5, 47; C48.1–5.

Species recognition. This species is separated from all other species in the area by the bluntly angulate base of sternum 2 (moderately convex in other species). The female clypeus is marked with a single, slightly arched yellow dorsal spot.

Variation. Fore wing length 6.0–7.0 mm (♂♂), 6.5–8.0 mm (♀♀). Colour showing very little variation. Interantennal spot sometimes extending to clypeus in male, in female sometimes slightly extending below level of interantennal prominence. Transverse pronotal band entire or interrupted medially, relatively broad. Terga and sterna 1–2 with apical fasciae, in male sometimes sternum 3 with median remnant of fascia; in both sexes terga 3 and 4 rarely have thin, evanescent apical fasciae. Some specimens from the eastern U.S. show reddish lateral areas on tergum 1 (transitional to ssp. anacardivora).

Distribution. Canada: newly recorded for southern Ontario. Eastern U.S. west to Mississippi River, also KS (Krombein 1979). The southern form (NC to FL and LA) with predominantly red tergum 1 is ssp. anacardivora (Rohwer, 1915).

Biology. Nests in hollow twigs, especially sumac. Nest partitions and closing plugs of the ssp. anacardivora consist of agglutinated sand. Prey are caterpillars of Coleophoridae (ssp. perennis), Tortricidae (Olethreutinae) and Gelechiidae (ssp. anacardivora) (Krombein 1967, 1979).

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