Superfamily SPHECOIDEA 1653 



Type-species: Oxybelus latro Olivier. Monotypic. 



Bohart and Schlinger (1957) recognized six species groups in the Nearctic fauna. However, 

 Peckham, Kurczewski and Peckham (1973) reported that some ethological information is not in 

 concordance with this classification. It seems preferable not to recognize species groups at this 

 time pending further systematic studies based on both morphology and ethology. 



The majority of species nest in easily friable soil such as sand, and construct uni- or multicellu- 

 lar nests. Adult Diptera are preyed upon, some species using flies as large as themselves, others 

 much smaller kinds. The prey is transported in flight either impaled on the sting or carried by 

 the legs; some species which carry the prey with their legs may land and impale the prey on the 

 sting before entering the nest. A number of species store mosty male flies, and a few are known 

 to prey upon males only. The cell may be stored with as few as 2 flies or as many as 38, depend- 

 ing upon the species of wasp. 



Taxonomy: Robertson, 1889. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 16: 77-85. — Mickel, 1918 (1917). Nebr. 

 Univ. Studies 17: 44-51 (Nebr. spp.). —Bohart and Schlinger, 1956. Pan-Pacific Ent. 32: 

 157-165 (annotated synonymical list of N. Amer. spp.). —Bohart and Schlinger, 1957. Calif. 

 Ins. Survey, Bui. 4: 103-142, 23 maps, 93 figs, (descr. of Calif, spp. and key to N. Amer. 

 spp.). 



Biology: Bohart, Lin and Holland, 1966. Ent. Soc. Amer., Ann. 59: 820 (prey records of N. 



Amer. spp.). —Peckham, Kurczewski and Peckham, 1973. Ent. Soc. Amer., Ann. 66: 658-660 



(ethology of N. Amer. spp.). 

 abdominalis Baker. U. S. west of 100th meridian, north to Idaho, Nebr,; north. Mexico. 



Oxybelus abdominalis Baker, 1896. Ent. News 7: 158. 6. 



Notolossa calligaster Viereck, 1906. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 32: 214. 9. 

 argenteopilosus Cameron. West. N. Amer. from Colo, and Oreg. south to Mexico 

 (Tehuantepec). 



Oxybelus argenteopilosus Cameron, 1891. Biol. Cent.-Amer., Hym., v. 2, p. 158, pi. 9, figs. 

 23,23a. 9. 

 argypheus Bohart and SchHnger. Calif., Ariz., south. Colo. 



Oxybelus argypheum Bohart and Schlinger, 1956. Biol. Soc. Wash., Proc. 69: 38. 9. 

 bipunctatus bipunctatus Olivier. Maine to Va.; Europe, Japan. Ecology: Nests in sand, makes 

 1-4 cells per nest, stores 2-12 prey per cell. Apparently adventive from Europe in 1935. 

 Parasite: Phrosinella fulvicornis (Coq.), Senotainia trilineata (Wulp), Sarcophagidae 

 spp. Prey: Allognosta fuscitarsis (Say), Caloparyphus tetraspilus (Lw.), Euparyphus 

 stigmaticalis Lw., Microclirysa polita (L.), Nemoielus nigrinus Fall., Oxycera picta 

 Wulp, 0. variegata Oliv., Sargus decorus Say; Chrysopilus quadratus (Say), 

 Syniphoromyia sp.; Psilocephala Haemoirhoidalis (Macq.); Diaphorus pseudopacus 

 Robinson; Callomyia venusta Snow, Platypeza anthrax Lw.; Pipunculus sp; 

 Ckrysogaster inflatifrons Shann., C. nigripes Lw., Heringia salax (Lw.), Neocnenwdon 

 elongatus (Curr.), Platycheirus erraticus Curr.; Lonchaea nudifenwrata Mall., L. spp.; 

 Pholeomyia indecora (Lw.); Hylemya florilega (Zett.), H.fngax (Meig.), H. platura 

 (Meig.), H. cilicrura (Rond.), H. sp.; Azelia sp., Fannia canicularis (L.), F. coracina 

 (Lw.), F. depressa (Stein), F. manicata (Meig.), F. nidicola Mall., F. sociella (Zett.), 

 Gymnodia cilifera (Mall.), Hebecnema vespertina (Fall), Hydrotaea ai-viipes (Fall), H. 

 basdeni Coll., H. occulta (Meig.), Spilogona sp.; Melanomya sp.; Metopia argyrocephala 

 (Meig.); Alophorella aeneoventris (Will), A.fumosa (Coq.), A. pulverea (Coq.), 

 Hyalomya purpurascens (Tns.), Hyalomyodes triangulifer (Lw.); prey consists of male 

 Brachycera and Cyclorrhapha, rarely females of latter. Another subsp. occurs in the 

 Mediterranean area. 



Oxybelus bipunctatus Olivier, 1811. Encycl Meth. Ins., v. 8, p. 597. 9. 



Oxybelus nigroaeneus Shuckard, 1837. Essay on Indig. Fossor. Hym., p. 113. 6. 



Oxybelus laevigatus Schilling, 1848. Schles. Gesell f. Vaterland. Kult. Arb. im Jahre 1847, 

 p. 105. 



Taxonomy: Evans, 1957. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 83: 111, figs. 107-115 (larva). 



Biology: Pate, 1946 (1945). Brooklyn Ent. Soc, Bui 40: 165 (prey). — Krombein, 1948. Ent. 

 Soc Wash., Proc 50: 67 (nest, prey). —Krombein, 1956. Brooklyn Ent. Soc, Bui 51: 43 



