Poecilopompilus mixtus (Fabricius 1794)

Poecilopompilus flavopictus Bradley, 1944, Notulae Nat., Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila.,
no. 145, p. 10. Poecilopompilus interruptus flavopictus Evans, 1951, U. S. Dept. Agri., Monogr.
2, p. 927 (Cameron Co., Tex.). — Evans, 1951, Trans. Amer. Ent.
Soc, 77: 314.
Although this relatively common Central American wasp is closely related to interruptus, I no longer regard it as subspecies of that species, as the range overlaps that of interruptus dubitatus to some extent, with no evidence of intergradation. P. flavopictus ventralis (Banks) (new status) (=pulcher Haupt, new synonym) occurs in Brazil. Several West Indian forms (mundiformis Rohwer, hookeri Rohwer, and possibly mundus Cresson) are at most subspecifically distinct from flavopictus.
Female. — Length 8-17 mm. Body color yellow, with a rather variable amount of black as follows: base of clypeus, a pair of stripes from the antennal sockets to the ocellar triangle, the latter black and sending stripes to the tops of the eyes and a median stripe to the occiput, which is also black; pronotum with black on anterior slope, mesoscutum black except for a pair of broad yellow stripes, disc of scutellum black, propodeal disc black basally and to a variable extent laterally and behind, with a median black stripe which is nearly always complete, mesopleura narrowly or fairly broadly black along sutures, sometimes wholly black except for a yellow streak below and above the transverse suture, metapleura varying from mostly yellow to entirely black, mesosternum wholly black; coxae variously patterned with black and yellow, the femora sometimes in part black; basal four or five tergites with broad apical bands which vary from dusky ferruginous to black; legs often partly, sometimes almost wholly ferruginous, the pronotum rarely with some ferruginous markings; scape yellow below, usually black above, antennae otherwise ferruginous except segments two and three usually black above, apical six or seven segments dusky above. Fore wings varying from subhyaline to light brownish, anterior half always strongly suffused with yellowish-brown; hind wings weakly tinged with yellowish-brown. Body pubescence very pale and inconspicuous, such that the yellow parts of the pleura appear strongly polished. Clypeus convex, its apical margin with a weak median emargination, measuring 2.0-2.2 X as wide as its median length. Head 1.10-1.18 X as wide as high; MID .58.64 X TFD; UID .62-.75 X LID. POL subequal to or slightly greater or less than OOL. Antennal segment three varying from .83 (in very small specimens) to 1.25 X UID. Vertex passing straight across at eye tops or arched very weakly. Pronotum subangulate to subarcuate behind; postnotum narrowly concealed or nearly concealed on the mid-dorsal line; propodeum sloping roundly and evenly, the corners of the posterior rim weakly angular. Front basitarsus with three short comb-spines, the apical one not more than half as
long as second tarsal segment, basitarsus also with some additional strong spines below the comb-spines. All claws dentate. Fore wing with marginal cell removed from wing tip by approximately its own length; SMC3 subequal in length to or shorter than SMC2 (fig. 17). Slope of Tl very low.
Male. — Length 7-13 mm. Body color in general very similar to that of female, including a similar pattern of black and yellow on head, mesoscutum, propodeum, and pleura; basal three to six abdominal tergites with broad apical bands, usually more or less fuscous; legs as in female except femora more often streaked with black; antennal scape yellow, sometimes black above, flagellum orange-brown, somewhat dusky on upper side. Wings subhyaline or lightly tinged with brown, anterior half of fore wing strongly suffused with yellowish-brown. Pubescence inconspicuous, as in female, yellow parts of thorax appearing strongly polished. Head about 1.2 X as wide as high; apical margin of clypeus truncate. UID .80-.95 X LID; POL slightly less than OOL in most specimens; vertex nearly straight, but slightly elevated at the ocellar triangle. Pronotum and postnotum as in female; slope of propodeum low and even, corners of posterior rim weakly subangulate. Longer spur of hind tibia about .8 X as long as hind basitarsus. Abdomen slender basally, the first tergite sloping but weakly in lateral profile. Genitalia not differing in any noticeable way from those of interruptus, as figured by Evans, 1950, fig. 44.
Distribution. — Surinam and Colombia north through Central America to Jalisco and to extreme southern Texas. (Map 38.)
Mexican and Central American specimens examined. — 108 9 2 , 121 8 8. Panama: 4 2 2, 16 8 8, Barro Colorado Isl., Canal Zone, Mch.-Aug. [MCZ, KSU, KU]; 1 2 , Ancon, Canal Zone, Aug. (NB) [MCZ]; 1 2, Corozal, Canal Zone, Jan. (C. H. Curran) [AMNH]; 1 2, Culebra-Arrijan Trail, Canal Zone, Dec. (T. Hallinan) [AMNH]; 1 2 , El Valle, Code Prov., May (G. B. Fairchild) [MCZ]; 1 2,1 8, Cerro Azul, 1000 feet, 18 Sept. 1945 (CDM) [KU]; 7 2 2,4 8 8, Bugaba (GCC) [BMNH]; 1 2, Volcan de Chiriqui, 2-3000 feet (GCC) [BMNH]. Costa Rica: 3 2 2, Golfito, July, Aug. (AM) [LACM]; 1 2, Esquinas, nr. Golfito (P. & D. Allen) [MCZ]; 6 2 2, Palmar (P. & D. Allen) [MCZ, USNM];
1 2 , Orotina, 1 May 1924 (J. C. Bradley) [CU]; 1 2 , Monteverde, 1400 meters, 17 Feb. 1963 [KSU]; 1 2 , nr. S Isidro, 5 May 1944 (Schrader) [USNM]; 2 2 2 , Los Diamantes (KWC) [USNM]; 1 2 ,
2 8 8, Pacuare [USNM]; S 2 2,6 8 8, Turrialba (KWC) [USNM]; 1 2,1 8, Cache (H. Rogers) [BMNH]; 1 8, 12 mi. SW Canas, Guanacaste Prov., 27 Feb. 1964 (HEE) [MCZ]; 1 8 , San Jose, May 1923 (F. Tristan) [ANSP]. Nicaragua: 1 2 , Chontales (T. Belt) [BMNH]. Honduras: 1 2 , Tegucigalpa, 2 July 1949 [UCD]; 1 2 , Rosario, San Juancito Mts., 5150 feet, 31 July 1930 [ANSP]; 1 5, nr. San Marcos de Colon, 8 Sept. 1963 (CCP) [MCZ]. El Salvador: 1 2, San Salvador (KWC) [USNM]; 1 5 , La Cuba, Nov. (K. A. Salman) [USNM]; 1 2 , 2 mi. E Quezaltepeque, 24 July 1961 (M. Irwin) [UCD]. Guatemala: 1 2,1 2 , Yepocapa, May, Aug. (H. T. Dalmat) [USNM]; 2 2 2, Guatemala City, Mch. (C. N. Ainslie) [USNM]; 2 2 2, Concepcion, 1400 feet, Mch. 1932 (Ainslie) [USNM]; 1 2 , Antigua, 17 June 1923 (E. G. Smyth) [USNM];
1 2 , Guazacapan, 11 Aug. 1952 (RHP) [MCZ]; 1 2 , Cerro Zunil, 4000 feet (GCC) [BMNH]; 1 2, Quirigua (JB) [MCZ]; 2 2 2,1
2 , El Salto, Esquintla, June 1934 (FXW) [MCZ]; 1 2,1 8, Moca Guatalon, 1000 meters, Mch. 1931 (JB) [MCZ]; 2 2 2 , 1 8 (no further data) [MCZ]; 1 2 , Variedades, Such., 500 feet, 26 Aug. 1947 (C. & P. Vaurie) [AMNH]. British Honduras: 2 2 2, Hummingbird Hwy., Stann Cr. Dist., 8 July 1963 (CCP) [MCZ]. Mexico: 4 2 2 (no further data) [ANSP]. Chiapas: 1 2, 17 8 8 , Suchiapa, 18 Aug. 1957 (PDH) [CIS, MCZ]; 1 8 , Revolution, 9 mi. E Buena Vista, 23 Mch. 1953 (EIS) [CIS]; 2 8 8 , 4 mi. SE Soyalo, 15 Mch. 1953 (EIS) [CIS]. Oaxaca: 1 8 , Donaji, 17 Apr. 1953 (EIS) [CIS]. Guerrero: 1 8, Xucumanatlan, 7000 feet, July (HHS) [BMNH]; 1 8 , 3 mi. N Taxco, 1 June 1959 (HEE) [MCZ]. Jalisco: 1 $ , 1 mi. SE La Resolana, 20 Nov. 1950 (RFS) [AMNH]. Morelos: 2 2 2, Canyon de Lobos, nr. Yautepec, 25 May 1959, 4000 feet (HEE) [CU, MCZ]; 1 2 , Huajintlan, 22 Aug. 1958 (RRD) [MSU]; 2 2 2, Tepoztlan, 26 Sept. 1951 (RRD) [MSU]. Yucatan:
3 2 2, No. part (Gaumer) [BMNH]. Veracruz: 1 2 , Cotaxtla, 12 Apr. 1956 (A. Ortega) [ENAC]; 5 2 2,2 2 8, Fortin de las Flores, 14-21 Sept. 1954 (FXW) [CAS]; 1 2, Poza Rica, 2 Aug. 1955 (P. & C. Vaurie) [AMNH]; 1 2, Cerro Blanco, 4 June 1961 (FPM) [ENAC]; 27 2 2 , 37 2 2, Minatitlan, 26 Aug.-l Sept. 1961 (RRD) [MSU]; 1 2, Jalapa, 6 Aug. 1961 (RRD) [MSU]; 6 2 2, 8 2 2, Acayucan, 23 Oct. 1957 (RRD) [MSU]; 5 2 2, Orizaba, 12 Aug. 1961 (RRD) [MSU]; 1 2 , Santiago Tuxtla, 11 Aug. 1956 (RRD) [MSU]. San Luis Potosi: 1 2 , 5 mi. E Ciudad del Maiz, 4700 feet, 22 Aug. 1954 [KU]; 1 2 , Valles, 29 Aug. 1956 (RRD) [RRD]; 1 2 , Xilitla, 23 July 1954 (RRD) [MSU].
Mop 38
Poecilopompilus f. flovopictus (Smith) (olso widely dlstr in S Americo)
Variation. — It is impossible to analyze all the subtleties of variation in color in this species. Suffice it to say that the variation is often considerable in series from one locality, and that specimens from Colombia show no constant differences from those from Mexico. Most specimens can be distinguished with ease from specimens of the sympatric p. polistoides and interruptus dubitatus by the characters emphasized in the key.

Poecilopompilus polistoides polistoides (Smith)
Pompilus polistoides Smith, 1855, Cat. Hymen. Brit. Mus., 3: 152 [Type: 2 Brazil: Para (BMNH, no. 19, 570)]. — Belt, 1874, The Naturalist in Nicaragua, pp. 133-134 (Nicaragua). — Fox, 1897, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 49: 250 (Brazil).
Batazonus polistoides Banks, 1944, Zoologica, 29: 111 (Br. Guiana). — 1947, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 99: 377-378 (Colombia, Venezuela, Br. Guiana, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia).
Batazonus inomatus Banks, 1945, Bol. Ent. Venez., 4: 99-100 [Type: 2, Colombia: Rio Frio, Magdalena, 13 July 1927 (G. Salt) (MCZ, no. 26, 603)]. — Banks, 1947, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 99: 381. New synonym.
Poecilopompilus polistoides Evans, 1950, Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, 75: 237.
This form occurs over much of northern South America, but enters southern Central America only sparingly. It is possible that Belt's record applies to flavopictus; there is a specimen of flavopictus in the British Museum collected by Belt in Nicaragua, but none of polistoides. P. polistoides apicalis (Banks) (new status) occurs in Paraguay.
Female. — Length 9-15 mm. Body yellow, markings as follows: ocellar triangle black, with a pair of black stripes extending down the front, rarely reaching the antennal sockets, black of ocellar area extending laterad to tops of eyes, medially weakly if at all connected with the occiput, which varies from ferruginous to black; pronotum often with a small amount of black or ferruginous medio-anteriorly; mesoscutum with three longitudinal black stripes, sometimes in part ferruginous; center of scutellum black and/or ferruginous; propodeum sometimes blackish at base, sometimes with a dark median stripe, occasionally extensively blackish; mesosternum sometimes in part black, coxae and femora rarely with a small amount of black, but lateral aspect of thorax almost wholly yellow, legs mostly yellow, with a variable amount of ferruginous; abdomen annulated with yellow and pale ferruginous; scape yellow, flagellum pale ferruginous, somewhat infuscated apically and often also basally. Wings subhyaline, anterior half of fore wing brownish. Pubescence very fine
and pale, such that the yellow parts of the integument appear very smooth and polished. Clypeus about twice as wide as its median length, apical margin shallowly notched medially. Head 1.10-1.15 X as wide as high; MID .60.64 X TFD; UID .62-.68 X LID; POL subequal to or slightly greater than OOL. Antennal segment three 1.05-1.25 X UID. Pronotum subangulate behind, with a median line; postnotum narrowly concealed on the mid-dorsal line; propodeum sloping strongly, about as in interruptus. Front basitarsus with three comb-spines, the apical one about half as long as second tarsal segment, also with a strong spine below the comb-spines. Wings as in the following species. Slope of Tl very low, about as in ftavopictus.
Male. — Length 7.5-12.5 mm. Color pattern in general similar to that of female; black markings on upper front and vertex prominent, usually connected with the black of the occiput by a median streak; pronotum often with some black or ferruginous toward the sides as well as medially, thorax, propodeum, and legs otherwise as described for female; abdomen annulated with yellow and ferruginous, sometimes mostly dark apically; scape yellow, flagellum ferruginous, dusky on upper side. Wings subhyaline, anterior half of fore wing lightly tinged with brownish or yellowish-brown. Pubescence very fine and pale, as in female, yellow parts of integument appearing highly polished. Clypeus about 1.9 X as wide as high, its apical margin truncate. Head 1.15-1.25 X as wide as high; UID .80-.90 X LID; POL and OOL subequal; vertex passing nearly straight across between eye tops, except ocellar triangle very slightly elevated. Features of thorax as in female; longer spur of hind tibia .73-. 80 X length of hind basitarsus. Abdomen slender basally, Tl sloping weakly in lateral view, often barely sloping at all. Genitalia not differing noticeably from those of fiavopictus and interruptus.
Distribution. — South America north of Paraguay and Bolivia, including Trinidad; Central America north to Costa Rica (? Nicaragua). (Map 34.)
Central American specimens examined. — 1 8 . Costa Rica: 1 S, Pacuare, 7 July 1949 (KWC) [USNM].

Poecilopompilus mixtus (Fabricius)

Pompilus mixtus Fabricius, 1798, p. 248.

Poecilopompilus navus.—Ashmead, 1900, p. 230 (St. Vincent; not navus Cresson, 1867, misidentification).

Batazonus hookeri Rohwer, 1915, p. 237 (♀ Puerto Rico; new synonymy).

Batazonus mundiformis Rohwer, 1915, p. 238 (♀ Jamaica, St. Vincent; new synonymy).

I have seen specimens of this species from Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Antigua, St. Kitts, Dominica, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent. It does not appear to be common on Dominica. I have seen only nine specimens: 5♀ ♀, 3♂ ♂, Clarke Hall, Layou Valley, January–March, October–November (Evans, Spangler, Wirth); 1♀, Pont Cassé, 27 September (Spangler).