Pepsis chrysothemis Lucas, 1895

Kurczewski, Frank E., West, Rick C., Waichert, Cecilia, Kissane, Kelly C., Ubick, Darrell & Pitts, James P., 2020, New and unusual host records for North American and South American spider wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), Zootaxa 4891 (1), pp. 1-112 : 8-9

Pepsis chrysothemis Lucas

AZ: Cochise County, Huachuca Mountains, Sierra Vista; August 2010; A. V. Evans. Host: Aphonopelma cf chalcodes Chamberlin (Desert blond tarantula) ( Theraphosidae ), adult female. The wasp examined the paralyzed tarantula with her mouthparts and antennae as it laid dorsal side upward on the ground ( Evans 2010a).

AZ: Maricopa County, Mesa; 9 April 2016; B. Korb. Host: Aphonopelma cf chalcodes , immature. The wasp grasped the paralyzed tarantula by the base of its right foreleg with her mandibles and pulled it backwards on the ground. She dragged the spider for a distance of about 2 m, climbing through a bush ( Korb 2016).

AZ: Pima County, Sabino Canyon National Park; 28 April 2015; R. C. Clark. Host: Aphonopelma cf chalcodes , immature female. The wasp grasped the paralyzed tarantula by the base of its right pedipalp or foreleg with her mandibles and dragged it backwards on the ground, dorsal side upward ( Clark 2015).

AZ: Pima County, Tucson, Tohono Chul Park; 1 July 2015; G. Spesard. Host: Aphonopelma cf chalcodes , adult or subadult female. The wasp grasped the paralyzed tarantula by the base of its 2 nd right leg with her mandibles and dragged it backwards on the ground ( Spesard 2015).

AZ: Pinal County, Apache Junction; 1 June 2012; C. Brown. Host: Aphonopelma cf chalcodes , adult female. After stinging and paralyzing the tarantula, the wasp tried unsuccessfully to pull the much larger and heavier spider backwards by grasping its spinnerets with her mandibles. Probably because of its relatively large size and heavy weight the tarantula was only lightly paralyzed and moved its legs frequently while lying dorsal side upward on the ground ( Brown 2012).

AZ: Pinal County, Superstition Mountains; 21 April 2013; C. Brown. Host: Aphonopelma cf chalcodes , adult female. The wasp pulled the paralyzed tarantula backwards on the ground, dorsal side upward, grasping its chelicerae with her mandibles ( Brown 2013).

AZ: Santa Cruz County, Patagonia ; 19 July 2010; A. Schmeirer. Host: Aphonopelma cf madera Hamilton, Hendrixson and Bond, adult female. The wasp transported the paralyzed tarantula backwards over large rocks, grasping the base of the spider’s left pedipalp with her mandibles ( Schmeirer 2010) .

CA: San Diego County: Mission Trails Regional Park; S. Victor; 28 March 2015. Host: Aphonopelma cf eutylenum Chamberlin ( Theraphosidae ) (California ebony tarantula), adult or subadult female. The wasp examined the paralyzed tarantula as it laid partly on its left side on the ground ( Victor 2015).

CA: San Diego County: Mission Trails Regional Park; 21 May 2019; J. Pierce (j_pierce). Host: Aphonopelma cf steindachneri (Ausserer) (Theraphosidae) (California brownspot tarantula), subadult female. The wasp dragged the paralyzed tarantula on the ground, dorsal side upward, grasping the base of its right foreleg with her mandibles ( Pierce 2019).

CA: Santa Clara County, San Jose, Almaden Quicksilver County Park; 11 July 2018; E. Rooks (edward_rooks). Host: Aphonopelma cf iodius (Chamberlin and Ivie) ( Theraphosidae ) (Desert tarantula), adult or subadult female. The wasp pulled the paralyzed tarantula on the ground, dorsal side upward, grasping its right foreleg with her mandibles ( Rooks 2018).

OK: Comanche County, near Wichita Mountains; 29 July 2013; M. Crow. Host: Aphonopelma cf hentzi (Girard) (Texas brown tarantula), adult male, with 3 rd right leg missing beyond coxa. The wasp grasped the right forecoxa of the paralyzed tarantula with her mandibles and pulled the spider backwards on the ground, dorsal side upward ( Crow 2013).

MEXICO: Nuevo Leon State, 5 km S of Marin ; 11 July 2017; M. Rodríguez A. (Maricruz R.). Host: Aphonopelma moderatum (Chamberlin and Ivie) , adult female. The wasp grasped the paralyzed tarantula, lying on its left side on the ground, by the base of its 2nd right leg with her mandibles. The 1st and 3rd right legs of the spider were missing ( Rodríguez 2017) .

MEXICO: Puebla State, Zapotitlán Salinas; 31 October 2003; R. Paredes León. Host: Tliltocatl cf kahlenbergi (Rudloff) ( Theraphosidae ), adult female. The wasp pulled the paralyzed tarantula backwards on the ground, dorsal side upward, grasping its left pedipalp with her mandibles ( Paredes León 2003).