Nesting ecology and first description of the male of Auplopus auripilus Cresson (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae)

Abstract

Wasps of the family Pompilidae are recognized for their specialization in spider hunting, where females actively look for spiders to feed their offspring. However, both hunting and nesting behavior are remarkably variable among species. Such variations include different strategies like solitary nesting, communal aggregations or cleptoparasitism. Nonetheless, aspects of the ecology and taxonomy of species are either incomplete or fully missing, especially in most Neotropical species. Here, we provide aspects of the nesting and hunting ecology of Auplopus auripilus occurring in southern Mexico. Moreover, we present the taxonomical description of both sexes of A. auripilus, emphasizing on the male, which was previously undescribed. We found mud nests of A. auripilus attached to bromeliad plants in a rustic coffee plantation. The cells were provisioned with a single jumping spider Paraphidippus aurantius with amputated legs. After 21 days of rearing, adult wasps of A. auripilus, the cleptoparasite Irenangelus eberhardi and the brown lacewing Micromus sp. emerged from the nests. The golden pubescence and the polished pygidial area are the main characters differentiating A. auripilus from other Auplopus occurring in Mexico and Central America. Our study provides missing information to the ecology and taxonomy of A. auripilus. These findings will contribute to support future studies focused on patterns of distribution, test ecological and evolutionary hypotheses and gain a better comprehension of the role of these wasps across Neotropical ecosystems.