1712 Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico 



Species Group Americana 



These species make simple multicellular nests, place the egg on the first prey brought into the 

 nest, and, so far as known, level the mound of excavated earth at the nest entrance. 



americana comata Parker. Pacific Coast of N. Amer. to Mexico. Ecology: Nests in sand or 



powdery soil, makes 1-3 cells per nest, provides 16-44 prey per cell. Parasite: Paryiopes 

 edwardsii (Cr.); Physocephala affiyiis Will. Prey: Apatolestes hera 0. S.; Thereva 

 niveipennis Kroeb.; Hydrophonis gratiosus Aid., H. sp.; Eristalis arbustorum L., E. 

 latifrons Lw., E. tenax L., Heliophilus sp., Melanostoma sp., Mesograpta geminata Say, 

 M. marginata Say, Metasyrphus subsimis Fluke, Sphaerophoria cylindnca Say, S. 

 sulphuripes (Thom.), Syrphus sp., Toxomerus sp.; Ceroxys latiuscula Lw.; Coenosia 

 tigrina F., Helina bispinosa Mall, H. procedens Wlkr., Hylemya ciUcrura Rond., Lispa 

 tentaculata DeG., Muscina assimilis Fall., Musca domestica L., Ophyra leucostoma 

 Weid., Pegomyia duplicata Mall; Spaziphora cincta (Lw.).; Calliphora terraenovae 

 Macq., Phaenicia sericata Meig., Phormia regina Meig., Pollenia rudis F.; Sarcophaga 

 rapax Wlkr., S. spp., Senotainia trilineata (Wulp); Bonnetia covita (Fall.), Dexodes 

 cinerea Tns., Tachinomyia similis Will. Typical americana F. occurs in the West Indies. 



Bembix comata Parker, 1917. U. S. Natl. Mus., Proc. 52: 100. 6, 9. 



Bembix comata var. nevadensis Rodeck, 1934. Amer. Mus. Novitates 692: 1. 6. 



Taxonomy: Evans and Lin, 1956. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 82: 59 (larva). 



Biology: Parker, 1925. Ent. Soc. Wash., Proc. 27: 189-195 (nest, prey capture and transport, 



cocoon). — Bohart and MacSwain, 1940. Pan-Pacific Ent. 16: 16 (parasite). —Evans, 1957. 



Studies on compar. ethology Bembix, pp. 36-48, figs. 8-10 (mating, nest, prey transport, 



egg, parasite). — Alcock, 1973 (1972). Psyche 79: 158-164 (nest construction). — Alcock, 



1973. Wasmann Jour. Biol. 31: 331-332 (prey). 

 americana hamata Fox. Calif., Santa Cruz to San Miguel Islands only. 



Bembix hamata Fox, 1923. Psyche 30: 6. 6. 



Bembix haviata lucida Fox, 1923. Psyche 30: 7. 6. 



Bembix sanctae-rosae Cockerell, 1940. South. Calif. Acad. Sci., Bui. 38: 135. 

 americana nicolai Cockerell. Calif., San Nicolas Island only. 



BembexC.) nicolai Cockerell, 1938. Pan-Pacific Ent. 14: 150. 3,9. 

 americana spinolae Lepeletier. N. Amer. except Pacific Coast States. Ecology: Nests in soil 

 varying from open sand to coarse soil, makes a unicellular nest, stores 16-24 prey per 

 cell. Parasite: Physocephala texana Will; Phrosinella fulvicomis (Coq.)?, Opsidia 

 gonioides Coq., Senotainia vigilans Allen, S. trilineata (Wulp), Miltogrammini spp.; 

 Exoprosopa fascipennis (Say); Pamopes chrysoprasinus Sm.?, P. edwardsii (Cr.)?; 

 Dasymutilla bioculata (Cr.)?; Macrosiagon flavipenne LeC. Prey: Eulalia cincta Oliv., 

 Odontomyia hoodiana Big., 0. virgo Wied.; Chrysops aestuans abaestuans Phil, C. 

 flavida Wied., C.furcatus Wlkr., C. iugens Wied., C. mitis 0. S., C. niger Macq., C. 

 noctifer pertinax Will., C. pudicus 0. S., Hybomitra osbumi Hine, H. phaenops 0. S., 

 Silvius quadrivittatus Say, Tabanus atratus L., T. coffeatus Macq., T. daeckei Hine, T. 

 insuetus 0. S., T. lasiopthalmus Macq., T. phaenops 0. S., T. pumilus Macq., T. 

 quinquevittatus Wied., T. vittiger schwardti Phil.; Conophorus painteri Prid., 

 Exoprosopa pueblensis Jaen., Phthiria stilfurea Lw., Spamopolius brevirostris Macq., S. 

 fulviis Wied., Systoechus fumipennis Paint., S. vulgaris Lw., Villa agrippina 0. S., V. 

 altemata Say, V.fulviana Say, V. lateralis Say, V. sinuosa jaennickiana 0. S.; 

 Furcifera rufiventris Lw., Psilocephala haemorrhoidalis Macq., Thereva cingulata 

 Kroeb.; Asiius sp., Afomosia melanopogon Herm., Lasiopogon cinereus Cole, Tolmerus 

 callidus Will; Chrysotoxum ventricosum Lw., Dasysyrphus amalopsis 0. S., Eristalis 

 arbustorum L., E. sp., Eupeodes volucris 0. S., Helophilus latifrons Lw., H. obscunis 

 Lw., Melanostoma sp., Metasyrphus astutus Fluke, M. palliventris Curr., Microdon 

 lanceolatus Adams, Paragus bicolor F., Scaeva pyrastri L., Sphaerophoria sp., Syrphus 

 opinator 0. S., S. ribesii L., Xylota bigelowi Curr.; Rivellia sp., Penocera quadnlineata 

 Mel., Sepedon fuscipennis Lw., Tetanocera plumosa Lw.; Cordilura latifrons Lw., 

 Hydrophoria divisa Meig., Hylemya sp.; Calythea separata Mall., Helina cinerella 

 Wulp, H. latifrons Zett., H. troene Wlkr., Musca domestica L., Phaonia deleta Stein, 



