1988] Deyrup, Cronin, & Kurczewski — Allochares 279 
that the other non-nesting pompilids are a phylogenetically diverse 
group of specialists that apparently have lost components of the 
typical pompilid behavioral repertoire. A. azureus would seem to fit 
this pattern perfectly. Although A. azureus may be ecologically sim- 
ilar to a polysphinctine ichneumonid, it is behaviorally much more 
complex in that it searches for the spider’s abandoned web, trans- 
ports prey, arranges the spider in the web in a special way, and 
prepares the prey for oviposition by removing a patch of hair. 
The only other species of pompilid known to attack filistatid 
spiders is Pompilus (Perissopompilus) phoenix Evans (Evans 
1966b). Members of the subgenus Perissopompilus are distin- 
guished in part by unusually weakly spinose legs and absence of 
erect hairs on the body (Evans 1951). We suspect the loss of hairs 
and spines in Perissopompilus is convergent with Allochares and 
associated with the structure of the filistatid web. 
Conclusions 
Allochares azureus is a highly specialized parasitoid of Filistata 
hibernalis, and we would not expect it to attack unrelated spiders. 
The straight, thickened tarsal claws, the use of the web as a pro- 
tected site for prey placement and oviposition, and the densely hairy 
cocoon all seem to be unique adaptations among the Pompilidae. A. 
azureus appears to be a convenient pompilid for laboratory study. 
We hope our work will stimulate more intensive behavioral and 
ecological work on this highly unusual spider wasp. 
Summary 
The mating, hunting, provisioning, ovipositional, and develop- 
mental behavior of the spider wasp Allochares azureus (Cresson) 
were studied under laboratory conditions at the Archbold Biologi- 
cal Station, Lake Placid, FL during 1987. The species preyed upon 
the domestic hackled band spider, Filistata hibernalis Hentz, during 
the warmer months of the year. The wasps flushed spiders from 
their silken retreats, stung them in the underside of the cephalo- 
thorax, causing instant paralysis, transported the spider into its web 
or another nearby, and entangled the prey in the web, using the 
forelegs. The wasp laid an egg on the spider’s abdomen after depil- 
ing the hairs from the ovipositional area with the end of her abdo- 
men. The larval wasp fed upon the spider while suspended in the 
