Anoplius nigerrimus is a species of spider wasp, or pompilid, and is the type species of the genus Anoplius.[1]
| Anoplius nigerrimus | |
|---|---|
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| Anoplius nigerrimus from Commanster, Belgian High Ardennes | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Pompilidae |
| Genus: | Anoplius |
| Species: | A. nigerrimus
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| Binomial name | |
| Anoplius nigerrimus (Scopoli, 1763)
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Description and identification
editThey are mostly black and the females are 6–8 mm long while males measure 5–8 mm. This species may be distinguished from the related A. caviventris and A. concinnus by the triangular rather than quadrilateral third submarginal cell of the forewing and the shorter setae, or hairs, on the thorax and abdomen.[2]
Distribution
editA. nigerrimus is a Holarctic species found from Northern and Central Europe eastwards across Asia to the Pacific Coast and in North America from the Yukon[3] to Newfoundland.[4] It is widespread in Great Britain and Ireland.[5]
Habitat
editUnlike other species of the genus Anoplius, A. nigerrimus does not show a preference for damp habitats and occurs in drier habitats such as grassland and scrub, the males are frequently encountered running over short vegetation.[5]
Biology
editThe flight period in Great Britain is May to September,[5] although in northern California adults have been collected in May, June and July.[6] Prey collected by A. nigerrimus include spiders from the families Lycosidae, Gnaphosidae and Pisauridae. A nigerrimus builds nests under stones, in cavities in stone walls, in hollow plant stems, in deserted burrows of ants, bees or wasps, and in empty snail shells. It can also dig a burrow and build cells in friable soil.[5][6] One nest of four cells was found under a stone on moorland at an altitude of 400 m in Glen Tilt, near Blair Atholl, Perthshire. Flowers visited include umbellifers such as wild carrot and Heracleum sphondylium.[5][7] The eulophid wasp, Tetrastichus pompilicola has been reared from larvae of A. nigerrimus in Newfoundland.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b Krombein, Karl V. (1979). "Scoliidae". In Krombein, Karl V.; Hurd, Paul D. Jr.; Smith, David R.; Burks, B.D. (eds.). Catalog of Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico. Vol. 2. Apocrita (Aculeata). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 1553-1562.
- ^ a b M.C. Day (1988). Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects Vol. 6, Part 4 Spider Wasps Hymenoptera: Pompilidae (PDF). Royal Entomological Soceiety. p. 35. ISBN 0-901546-70-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-01-05.
- ^ "Biological Survey of Canada" (PDF). Biology.ualberta.ca.
- ^ Scott Russell. "Checklist of the Spider Wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) of British Columbia" (PDF). Geog.ubc.ca. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
- ^ a b c d e Edwards R. & Broad G. (eds), 1998, Provisional Atlas for the aculeate Hymenoptera of Britain and Ireland Part 2, NERC ISBN 1-870393-42-2
- ^ a b Marius S. Wasbauer; Lynn Siri Kimsey (1984). California Spider Wasps of the Subfamily Pompilinae (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae) Volume 26 of Bulletin of the California Insect Survey. University of California Press. p. 10. ISBN 0520099575.
- ^ "Anoplius nigerrimus (Scopoli 1763) (Family Pompilidae)". The Ecology of Commanster. J.K. Lindsey. Retrieved 2016-12-11.
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