1706 Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico 



ventralis (Say). South. Canada, U. S.; north. Mexico. Ecology: Nests in sand or sandy gravel, 

 sometimes in small aggregations, usually makes a unicellular cell but occasionally one 

 with 2-3 cells, stores 3-18 prey per cell. Parasite: Senotainia vigilans Allen, S. trilineata 

 (Wulp). Prey: Anasa tristis (DeG.); Banasa dimidiata Say, Cosmopepla bimaculata 

 Thom., Elasmostethus cruciatus Say, Euschistus euschistoides Voll., E. tristigmus Say, 

 E. variolarius Beauv., Menecles incertus Say, Momiidia lugens F., Thyanta 

 pallidovirens accerra McAtee, Trichopepla semivittata Say; only nymphs are used and 

 Pentatomidae are the preferred prey. 



Monedula ventralis Say, 1824. In Keating, Narr. Long's 2nd Exped. v. 2, app., p. 337. S. 



Bicyrtes Servillii Lepeletier, 1845. Hist. Nat. Ins., Hym., v. 3, p. 53. 9 . 



Monedula parata Provancher, 1888. Addit. Corr. Faune Ent. Canada Hym., p. 416. 9. 



Bembidula meliloti Rohwer, 1908. Ent. News 19: 376. 6. 



Taxonomy: Evans and Lin, 1956. Amer. Ent. See, Trans. 82: 50, figs. 56-58 (larva). 



Biology: Hartman, 1905. Tex. Univ., Bui. 65: 36-39 (nest, prey). —Parker, 1917. U. S. Natl. 

 Mus., Proc. 52: 132-133 (nest, prey, life cycle). —Evans, 1966. Compar. ethology and 

 evolution of sand wasps, pp. 160-167, figs. 91-93 (nest, prey transport, egg, life cycle). 



Morphology: Snodgrass, 1941. Smithsn. Inst., Misc. Collect. 99 (14): pi. 19, figs. I-L (male 

 genitalia). 

 viduata (Handlirsch). Utah, Ariz., Tex.; north. Mexico. Ecology: Nests in coarse gravel. Prey: 

 Coreidae nymphs. 

 Bembidula viduata Handlirsch, 1889. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Math.-Nat. KL, Sitzber. 98: 491. 9. 

 Bicyrtes gracilis Parker, 1917. U. S. Natl. Mus., Proc. 52: 68. 6. 



Biology: Alcock and Gamboa, 1975. Ariz. Acad. Sci., Jour. 10: 160 (nest, prey). 



Genus MICROBEMBEX Fatten 



Microbembex Patton, 1879. U. S. Geol. and Geog. Survey, Bui. 5: 364. 

 Type-species: Bembex monodonta Say. Orig. desig. 



The North American species are scavengers, bringing in as food for their larvae a wide 

 variety of dead arthropods. Two South American species have been reported as paralyzing live 

 beetles and other insects, but these observations need confirmation. The egg is laid in the empty 

 cell and progressive provisioning is practiced. 



argyropleura Bohart. South. Calif., Ariz., Nev., Utah; Mexico (Baja California). Ecology: Nests 

 in dense aggregations in sand dune blowouts, lays egg in empty cell, practices 

 progressive provisioning. Parasite: Senotainia sp. near rufiventris (Coq.)? Prey: Dead 

 arthropods including Diptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Heteroptera, Araneae. 

 Microbembex argyropleura Bohart, 1970. Pan-Pacific Ent. 46: 203. cJ, 9. 



Biology: Alcock, 1975. Southwest. Nat. 20: 337-339, figs. 1, 2 (nest, prey, parasite). 

 aurata Parker. West. Tex. to south. Calif. 



Microbembex aurata Parker, 1917. U. S. Natl. Mus., Proc. 52: 121. cJ, 9. 



Taxonomy: Gillaspy, 1963. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 65: 230. 

 californica Bohart. Cent. Calif, to Wyo., Utah and N. Mex.; Mexico (Baja California). Prey: 

 Dead arthropods. 

 Microbembex californica Bohart, 1970. Pan-Pacific Ent. 46: 202. d, 9. 



Biology: Goodman, 1970. Pan-Pacific Ent. 46: 207-209 (nest, "prey"). 

 hirsuta Parker. N. Mex., Tex. 



Microbembex hirsuta Parker, 1917. U. S. Natl. Mus., Proc. 52: 122. 6,9. 

 monodonta (Say). South. Canada and U. S. east of Rocky Mts.; Mexico, Central America. 

 Ecology: Nests in large aggregations in loose dry to moist firm sand, makes a 

 unicellular nest, places egg upright in empty cell, practices progressive provisioning. 

 Parasite: Senotainia trilineata (Wulp), S. rufiventris (Coq.)?; Exoprosopa fascipennis 

 (Say); Dasymutilla bioculata (Cr.), D. sp.; Pamopes f. fulvicomis Cam.?, P.f. atlanticus 

 Krom.? Prey: Dead arthropods belonging to Phalangida, Araneida, Ephemeroptera, 



