''Allochares azureus'' is a species of
spider wasp
Wasps in the family Pompilidae are commonly called spider wasps, spider-hunting wasps, or pompilid wasps. The family is cosmopolitan, with some 5,000 species in six subfamilies. Nearly all species are solitary (with the exception of some group-ne ...
from the family
Pompilidae
Wasps in the family Pompilidae are commonly called spider wasps, spider-hunting wasps, or pompilid wasps. The family is cosmopolitan, with some 5,000 species in six subfamilies. Nearly all species are solitary (with the exception of some group-ne ...
, it is the only member of the
monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
''Allochares''. It occurs in the southern part of North America and is a specialist
parasitoid
In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host (biology), host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionarily stable str ...
of the Southern house spider.
Description
''Allochares azureus'' is a distinctive species of spider wasp, especially in the shape of the head which is convex in the front and concave in its rear, this is especially marked in the males. It also has a characteristic excavated
propodeum
Propodeum labelled within the alitrunk of an ant worker
The propodeum is a term that can refer to unrelated structures in insects or in mollusks.
Insects
The first abdominal segment in Apocrita Hymenoptera (wasps, bees and ants) is known a ...
which has conical teeth pointing towards the wasp's posterior. The females lack a tarsal comb. The body of the wasp is black but the short hairs cause it to have blue or green
iridescence
Iridescence (also known as goniochromism) is the phenomenon of certain surfaces that appear gradually to change colour as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Iridescence is caused by wave interference of light in microstru ...
. The females measure 9–13.5mm on length and the males 7-10mm.
Distribution
''Allochares azureus'' is found only in the southern part of the
Nearctic realm
The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface.
The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America t ...
in the most southern parts of the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
from
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
to
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
south to the Mexivan states of
Jalisco
Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...
and
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...
.
[
]
Biology
''Allochares azureus'' has a distinctive biology among spider wasps. Following mating the female hunts for a southern house spider
The southern house spider is a species of large spider in the family Filistatidae. Currently given the scientific name ''Kukulcania hibernalis'', it was formerly known as ''Filistata hibernalis''. Found in the Americas, it exhibits strong sexual ...
(''Kukulcania hibernalis''). Searching for prey on foot with short rapid rushes and flicking of wings, it will make short flights of a metre or so between hunting sites. Once a spider is found the wasp moves to the centre of the web where the spider has a tube like retreat which the wasp enters. The spider reacts to the wasp by retreating away from its web and finding a hiding place in a fissure or another spider's web where it hides and tries to remain motionless, the wasp seems unable to detect the spider so long as it is still. The wasp continues to search and if it touches the spider, the spider will try to retreat and the wasp will pursue it. The lack of spines and modified tarsal claws shown by ''A. azureus'' appear to be an adaptation to this as their presence could probably cause the wasp to get tangled in the velcro
Velcro IP Holdings LLC, trading as Velcro Companies and commonly referred to as Velcro (pronounced ), is a British privately held company, founded by Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral in the 1950s. It is the original manufacturer of ho ...
like threads of the spider's web. The female attacks the spider from behind, sometimes flipping it on its back and paralyses the spider with a sting in the venter Venter or Venters is an Afrikaans (and rarely, Jewish) surname, and may refer to:
Venter
* AJ Venter (b. 1973), South African rugby union footballer
* Al J Venter (b. 1938), author
* André Venter (b. 1970), South African rugby union footballer
* ...
. The paralysed spider is then dragged, sometimes vertically, back to its web or to another unoccupied web and is secured in the web by the female using the spider's own silk strands to wrap it in and lays an egg on it. The egg hatches in 2–3 days, the larva the feeds on the spider for 10–12 days before it pupates in the web, building a distinct cocoon which has its outer surface covered in long silky hairs. This species has a number of generations in a year.Baccharis
''Baccharis'' is a genus of perennial plant, perennials and shrubs in the Asteraceae, aster family (Asteraceae). They are commonly known as baccharises but sometimes referred to as "brooms", because many members have small thin leaves resembling ...
'' and '''',[ and also '']Acacia
''Acacia'', commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Austral ...
'', ''Asclepias
''Asclepias'' is a genus of herbaceous, perennial, flowering plants known as milkweeds, named for their latex, a milky substance containing cardiac glycosides termed cardenolides, exuded where cells are damaged. Most species are toxic to huma ...
'', ''Condalia
''Condalia'' is a genus of Thorns, spines, and prickles, spiny shrubs in the Tribe (biology), tribe Rhamneae of the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae. It was named for Antonio Condal, an 18th century Spain, Spanish physician. Members of the genus are ...
'', '' Hyptis emoryi'' and ''Colubrina texensis
''Colubrina'' is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in the family Rhamnaceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of Africa, the Americas, southern Asia, northern Australia, and the Indian Ocean islands.
Names
Common na ...
''.[
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q48996750
Pompilinae
Hymenoptera of North America
Insects described in 1867