''Ceropales maculata'' is a
kleptoparasitic spider wasp found in the
holoarctic region.
Biology
''Ceropales maculata'' is an uncommon spider wasp. This species intercepts other spider wasps engaged in prey transport and lays its eggs in the
book lung
A book lung is a type of respiration organ used for atmospheric gas exchange that is present in many arachnids, such as scorpions and spiders. Each of these organs is located inside an open ventral abdominal, air-filled cavity (atrium) and conn ...
of the captured spider. ''C. maculata'' then allows the other spider wasp to return to its nest, where the ''C. maculata'' larvae hatch, eat the host egg, and consume the spider.
Spider wasps kleptoparasitised by ''C. maculata'' include species in the genera ''
Priocnemis'', ''
Pompilus'', ''
Agenioideus'', ''
Arachnospila'', ''
Anoplius'', ''
Episyron'' and ''
Auplopus'' in Britain and Europe. Other species of non-
Pompilid
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- ...
solitary wasp which use spiders as prey, for example the
sphecid ''
Miscophus
''Miscophus'' is a genus of square-headed wasps in the family Crabronidae. There are more than 180 described species in ''Miscophus''.
See also
* List of Miscophus species
References
External links
*
Crabronidae
Articles created by ...
,'' may also be parasitised by ''C. maculata''.
This species is
univoltine; adults are seen from May to September.
Habitat
''C. maculata'' can be found in sandy areas such as heathlands, coastal dunes and sand pits.
References
Hymenoptera of Europe
Ceropalinae
Insects described in 1775
Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius
{{apocrita-stub