Ceropales maculata is a kleptoparasitic spider wasp found in the holoarctic region.[2][3][4]

Ceropales maculata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Pompilidae
Genus: Ceropales
Species:
C. maculata
Binomial name
Ceropales maculata
(Fabricius, 1775)
Synonyms
  • Maculata maculata
  • Ceropales semiannulatus
  • Ceropales tristis
  • Ceropales balearica[1]

Biology

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Ceropales maculata is an uncommon spider wasp. This species intercepts other spider wasps engaged in prey transport and lays its eggs in the book lung of the captured spider. C. maculata then allows the other spider wasp to return to its nest, where the C. maculata larvae hatch, eat the host egg, and consume the spider.[5][6]

Spider wasps kleptoparasitised 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.

This species is univoltine; adults are seen from May to September.[2]

Habitat

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C. maculata can be found in sandy areas such as heathlands, coastal dunes and sand pits.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Ceropales maculata maculata". Eunis.eea.europa.eu. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  2. ^ a b c Edwards R. & Broad G. (eds), 1998, Provisional Atlas for the aculeate Hymenoptera of Britain and Ireland Part 2, NERC ISBN 1-870393-42-2
  3. ^ "Species Ceropales maculata - BugGuide.Net". bugguide.net. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  4. ^ "Ceropales maculata | Taxonomy Browser | BOLDSYSTEMS". www.boldsystems.org. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  5. ^ Day, M. C. "Spider wasps." Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects 6.4 (1988): 15
  6. ^ "Heathland Pompilidae". Natureconservationimaging.com. Retrieved 2012-04-07.