Ceropales maculata
| Ceropales maculata | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Suborder: | Apocrita |
| Superfamily: | Vespoidea |
| Family: | Pompilidae |
| Subfamily: | Ceropalinae |
| Genus: | Ceropales |
| Species: | C. maculata |
| Binomial name | |
| Ceropales maculata (Fabricius, 1775) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Ceropales maculata is a kleptoparasitic spider wasp.
Biology
Ceropales maculata is a very uncommon spider wasp. C. maculata intercepts other spider wasps engaged in prey transport, laying its eggs in the book lung of the captured spider. C. Maculata then allows the spider wasp to return to its nest, where larvae hatch, eat the host egg, and consume the spider.[2][3]
Spider wasps kelptoparasitised by C. maculata include species in the genera Priocnemis, Pompilus, Agenioideus, Arachnospila, Anoplius, Episyron and Auplopus in Britain and Europe. Other species of non-Pompilid solitary wasp which use spiders as prey, for example the Sphecid Miscophus may also be parasitised by C maculata.
It is univoltine; adults are seen from May to September.[4]
Habitat
Sandy areas such as heathlands, coastal dunes and sand pits.[4]
Distribution
References
- ↑ "Ceropales maculata maculata". Eunis.eea.europa.eu. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
- ↑ Day, M. C. "Spider wasps." Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects 6.4 (1988): 15
- ↑ "Heathland Pompilidae". Natureconservationimaging.com. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
- 1 2 3 Edwards R. & Broad G. (eds), 1998, Provisional Atlas for the aculeate Hymenoptera of Britain and Ireland Part 2, NERC ISBN 1-870393-42-2