Superfamily SPHECOIDEA 1595 

 Family PEMPHREDONIDAE 



Members of this family are small for sphecoid wasps and include the smallest species (2 mm) 

 in the superfamily. The majority of species prey on Homoptera, especially aphids, but some of 

 the smallest species use Thysanoptera or Collembola. The family includes both ground-nesting 

 species and those which use pre-existing cavities in twigs, galls, etc., as nesting sites. 



Subfamily PSENINAE 



The revisions listed under the subfamily heading are neither adequate nor reliable for identifi- 

 cation of most members of the subfamily. 



Revision: Fox, 1898. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 25: 1-18 (N. Amer. spp.). — Malloch, 1933. U. S. 

 Natl. Mus., Proc. 82 (26): 1-60, 2 pis. (N. Amer. spp.). 



Taxonomy: Evans, 1959. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 85: 139-145, figs. 1-22 (larvae). — Gittins, 

 1969. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 95: 49-76, 21 figs, (generic reclassification). 



Tribe PSENINI 



Genus AMMOPSEN Krombein 



Ammopsen Krombein, 1959. Brooklyn Ent. Soc, Bui. 54: 18. 



Type-species: Ammopsen masoni Krombein. Monotypic. 



Nothing is known of the biology except that the sole included species is frequently collected 

 while visiting the flowers of mat Euphorbia in the desert. The presence in the female of a 

 foretarsal comb and genal ammochaetae suggests that masoni is a ground-nesting species. 



masoni Krombein. Southern Calif., Ariz., N. Mex., Utah, Nev. 



Ammopsen masoni Krombein, 1959. Brooklyn Ent. Soc, Bui. 54: 19. i, 9. 



Genus MIMESA Shuckard 



Mimesa Shuckard, 1837. Essay on Indig. Fossor. Hym., p. 228. 



Type-species: Trypoxylon equestre Fabricius. Orig. desig. 

 Aporia Wesmael, 1852. Acad. Roy. Sci. Belg., Bui. 19: 272. Preocc. 



Type-species: Trypoxylon equestre Fabricius. Desig. by Kohl, 1896. 

 Aporina Gussakovskij, 1937. Trav. Inst. Zool. Acad. Sci. 4: 665. N. name. Preocc. 



Wasps of this genus nest in the ground with several cells off the main burrow. So far as 

 known they prey on leafhoppers, both nymphs and adults. 



agalena Gittins. Calif. 



Mimesa agalena Gittins, 1966. Ent. News 77: 251. 9, 3. 

 arizonensis (Malloch). Ariz. (Tucson, Roosevelt Lake). 



Psen (Mimesa) arizonensis Malloch, 1933. U. S. Natl. Mus., Proc. 82 (26): 36. 6. 

 barri Gittins. Idaho, Oreg., Calif. 



Mimesa barri Gittins, 1966. Ent. News 77: 249. 9,6. 

 basirufa Packard. Transcont. in Transit, and U. Austr. Zones. Ecology: Nests in flat compacted 

 soil or vertical sand banks. Prey: Idiocenis sp. nymphs, Macropsis viridis (Fitch) adults, 

 Oncopsis variabilis (Fitch) adults, 0. sorbrius (Wlkr.) adults. 



Mimesa basirufa Packard, 1867. Ent. Soc Phila., Proc. 6: 406. 9. 



Mimesa nebrascensis Smith, 1908. Nebr. Univ., Studies 8: 390. 9. 



Biology: Krombein, 1961. Brooklyn Ent. Soc, Bui. 56: 64 (nest, prey). — Kurczewski and 

 Lane, 1974. Ent. Soc Wash., Proc. 76: 377-379, figs. 1, 3 (nest, prey transport, egg). 

 coquilletti (Rohwer). Calif., Nev. 



Psen (Mimesa) coquilletti Rohwer, 1910. U. S. Natl. Mus., Proc 12: 103. 9 (6 misdet). 

 cressonii atriventris (Malloch). Ont. (Toronto). 



Psen (Mimesa) cressoni (!) var. atriventris Malloch, 1933. U. S. Natl. Mus., Proc. 82 (26): 

 31. 6. 



