Northern Range Extension ofPsorthaspis sanguinea(Smith) (Hymenoptera:Pompilidae) and a Record ofPsorthaspis mariae(Cresson) from the Delmarva Peninsula

Abstract

Specimens representing the Pompilid genus Psorthaspis are uncommon in collections. The spider wasp Psorthaspis sanguinea is a fairly large and striking pompilid that probably preys on members of the Family Ctenizidae (trapdoor spiders). There are few published distribution records for this wasp species in eastern North America and none north of Florida since 1952. I report the capture of an adult female on 6 August 2003 from a coastal xeric Pinus sp. (pine) forest at Cape Henlopen State Park, Sussex County, DE. This record represents a northern range extension for the species east of the Mississippi River and perhaps range-wide. The collection site is >300 km from the nearest known collection site in North Carolina. I also report the capture of the congener P. mariae from a different site in Sussex County, DE, taken on 9 July 2003. This individual was captured in a semi-xeric pine forest on an ancient inland sand ridge bordering the Nanticoke River. Although P. mariae is known from as far north as New Jersey, this record represents a Delaware state record, a Delmarva Peninsula record, and fills a distribution gap for the species. In the northeast, it appears that both species may be affiliated with forested sand formations.