Priocnessus nuperus (Cresson)

Kurczewski, Frank E., West, Rick C. & Waichert, Cecilia, 2024, New host records for Nearctic and Neotropical spider wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), Insecta Mundi 2024 (34), pp. 1-32 : 12

Priocnessus nuperus (Cresson)

KENTUCKY: Jessamine County, Wilmore; 6 September 2020, 0927 EDT; R. Miller. Host: Rabidosa punctulata (Hentz) ( Lycosidae ), adult or subadult female. The wasp grasped the immobilized wolf spider by the base of its right chelicera, dorsal side upward, with her mandibles while dangling in mid-air by grasping the top of a flowering plant with her legs ( Fig. 3 ; Miller 2020).

This is the first host record and new host family, genus, and species for Priocnessus nuperus .

KENTUCKY: Jessamine County, 4 km NW Wilmore; 31 July 2013; R. Miller. Host: Rabidosa punctulata (Hentz) ( Lycosidae ), adult or subadult female. The wasp dragged the paralyzed wolf spider, dorsal side upward, across the ground, grasping the base of a chelicera with her mandibles, interspersed with periodic antenna examinations in the low grasses as the spider laid in a ventral side upward position ( Miller 2023).

This is the second host record for Rabidosa punctulata at a site a few miles from the first record.

NORTH CAROLINA: Orange County, Brumley Nature Preserve North Section; June 2022; C. Darnell. Host: Agelenopsis sp. ( Agelenidae ), juvenile. The immobilized grass spider laid ventral side upward on a broad leaf above ground level. The wasp had just “incapacitated” it by stinging and is imbibing hemolymph from the sting puncture wound on the underside of its cephalothorax. The wasp is squeezing the underside of the spider’s cephalothorax with her mandibles to increase the amount of exuding hemolymph ( Darnell 2022).

This is a new host family and genus for Priocnessus nuperus .

Figures

Figures 1–6. Pompilid species with host spiders. 1) Calopompilus pyrrhomelas (Walker) with Eucteniza?panchovillai Bond and Godwin (Euctenizidae), adult female. © Miguee Sykes. 2) Pepsis cassiope Mocsáry with Ancylometes bogotensis (Keyserling) (Ctenidae), adult or subadult female. © Hilde Vandevoorde. 3) Priocnessus nuperus (Cresson) with Rabidosa punctulata (Hentz) (Lycosidae), adult or subadult female. © Rachel Miller. 4) Auplopus comparatus (Smith) with Macrinus sp. (Sparassidae). © Christian Marty. 5) Ageniella (Ageniella) cupida (Cresson) species-group with Coras sp. (Agelenidae), penultimate male. © Herschel Raney. 6)?Aridestus bergi (Holmberg) with unidentified host species (Theraphosidae, Theraphosinae), immature.© Antonino Gonçalves Medina.