Superfamily SPHECOIDEA 1581 



Sphex aurulenta Guerin, 1835. Iconogr. Regne Anim., Planches Anim. Invert., pi. 70, fig. 2. 



Lapsus for lanierii Guer., 1844. 

 Sphex Lanierii Guerin, 1844. Iconogr. Regne Anim., Ins., v. 3: 433. 6. 

 Sphex ornata Lepeletier, 1845. Hist. Nat. Ins., Hym., v. 3, p. 344. 9, tJ. 

 Sphex ichneumoneus \ar.fuiviventris Kohl, 1890. K. K. Naturhist. Hofmus., Ann. 5: 431. 

 nudus Fernald. Md. to 111., south to Fla. and La. Prey. Camptonotus carolinensis Gerst. 

 Sphex midus Fernald, 1903. Psyche 10: 201. 6. 

 Sphex bridwelli Fernald, 1903. Psyche 10: 202. 9. 



Biology: Rau and Rau, 1918. Wasp studies afield, p. 206 (prey). 

 pensylvanicus Linnaeus. Transcont. in U. S. except northwestern states; northern Mexico. 

 Ecology: Nests in soft earth in sheltered areas, the burrow oblique; several cells 

 provisioned with 2-6 prey specimens. Parasite: Pseudoxenos smithii (Heyd.); Senotainia 

 trilineata (Wulp). Prey: Microcentrum reiinerve (Burm.), M. rhomhifolium (Sauss.), 

 Sciidderia fiircata Brunn. This wasp is commonly called "The Great Black Wasp." 

 Sphex pensylvanica Linnaeus, 1763. Centuria Ins. Rar., p. 30. 

 Sphex pensylvayiicus var. robustisoma Strand, 1916. Arch. f. Naturgesch. 81: 101. 9. 



Taxonomy: Evans and Lin, 1956. Amer. Ent. Sec, Trans. 81: 140, figs. 9-11 (larva). 



Biology: Reinhard, 1929. Witchery of wasps, pp. 165-191, 1 pL, 1 text fig. (nest, prey). 



— Frisch, 1938. Amer. Midland Nat. 19: 673-677 (nest, prey, life cycle, parasites). —Rau, 



1944. Ent. Soc. Amer., Ann. 37: 439-440 (nest, prey). — Krombein, 1955. Brooklyn Ent. Soc, 



Bui. 50: 16-17 (nesting aggregation, prey). 

 servillei Lepeletier. Southern Tex. to Argentina. 



Sphex fuliginosa Dahlbom, 1843. Hym. Europaea, v. 1, p. 425. Preocc. 



Sphex Servillei Lepeletier, 1845. Hist. Nat. Ins. Hym. 3: 336. S. 



Sphex Chichimecus Saussure, 1867. Reise d. Novara, Zool., v. 2, Hym., p. 40. 6. 



Sphex congener Kohl, 1890. K. K. Naturhist. Hofmus., Ann. 5: 418. 9. 



Sphex Joergenseni Brethes, 1913. Buenos Aires Mus. Nac. de Hist. Nat., An. 24: 120. S. 

 tepanecus Saussure. Tex. to Ariz.; Mexico (Chihuahua). Ecology: Nests gregariously in fine 

 sandy loam soil. Prey: Tettigoniidae sp., nymph. 



Sphex tepanecus Saussure, 1867. Reise d. Novara, Zool., v. 2, Hym., p. 41. 3. 



Sphex mexicana Taschenberg, 1869. Ztschr. Gesam. Naturw. Halle 34: 416. S . Preocc. 



Taxonomy: Evans, 1964. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 90: 237-238, figs. 1-4 (larva). 



Biology: Gillaspy, 1962. Brooklyn Ent. Soc, Bui. 57: 15-17 (nest, prey, mating, cocoon). 

 texanus Cresson. Kans. to Tex., Ariz. 



Sphex Texana Cresson, 1872. Amer. Ent. Soc. Trans. 4: 212. 9,6. 



Genus SPHEX Subgenus FERNALDINA Bohart and Menke 



Femaldina Bohart and Menke, 1963. Univ. Calif. Pubs. Ent. 30: 130. 

 Type-species: Sphex lucae Saussure. Monotypic 



Our single species builds a 1-celled nest in the soil which it provisions with nymphal and adult 

 Tettigoniidae. 



lucae Saussure. Southeastern and western U. S., B. C; northern Mexico. Ecology: Nests in 

 compacted sandy soil or rocky ground. Parasite: ? Senotainia sp. in trilineata (Wulp) 

 complex. Prey: Insara sp., probably elegans Scud., nymphs and adults. 



Sphex lucae Saussure, 1867. Reise d. Novara, Zool., v. 2, Hym., p. 41. 9. 



Sphex helfragei Cresson, 1872. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 4: 212. 9. 



Biology: Linsley, 1962. Ent. Soc. Amer., Ann. 55: 156-157, fig. 4 (sleeping aggregation). 

 — Cazier and Mortenson, 1965. Pan-Pacific Ent. 41: 34-43, 6 figs, (nesting behavior, prey, 

 parasite). 



Genus ISODONTIA Fatten 



This is the only non-fossorial genus among our native Sphecinae. 



