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Introduction

Pompilidae, also known as "spider wasps", is a cosmopolitan family of Hymenoptera with
moderate to large-size predatory wasps that occupy a diverse array of habitats. The number
of pompilid species in the global fauna is about 5.000 species belonging to more than 230
genera. They are found mostly in tropical regions of the world (WASBAUER 1995).

These solitary wasps usually have slender bodies with spiny legs; they are identified by the
almost universal characteristic of a transverse sulcus in mesopleuron. Most spider wasps are
dark-colored, with smoky or yellowish wings. A few are brightly colored. Sexual
dimorphism is slight to moderate, with both sexes usually macropterous, a few
brachypterous and apterous species are known (BROTHERS & FINNAMORE 1993). These
wasps can usually be distinguished from other similar wasps as they move by short jumps
and repeatedly flick their wings while hunting for spiders among vegetation, under bark, in
the crevices of trees or in the soil. Female pompilid searches for spider, subdues spider with
venom from sting and transports spider to place of concealment. Many species construct
cells or excavate soil in which larva develops on host. Some species develop as
cleptoparasites of other pompilids with parasitized hosts detected by female who destroys
extant egg and lays her own on paralysed spider, or second egg hatches and larva kills the
first pompilid and then consumes spider host. A few species temporarily paralyze spider
which recovers but is eventually killed by developing larva (EVANS & SHIMIZU 1996).

Some investigations on Iranian pompilid fauna have previously been done. Four species
were reported by ESMAILI & RASTEGAR (1974) from Damavand (in vicinity of Tehran).
Nine and 43 species were reported by WOLF (2003) and EBRAHIMI et al. (2008),
respectively from various parts of Iran. Recently, AMIRESMAEILI et al. (2010) reported
16 species from different regions of Mazandaran province, Iran. According to EBRAHIMI
et al. (2008) Iran is markedly rich in hymenopterous species because of having various
zoogeographical zones.

This research is the second part of the series of our taxonomic study of the
Mazandaranian species of the family Pompilidae. In the first part of this series were
reviewed 16 species (AMIRESMAEILI et al. 2010). In the present paper, a faunistic survey
was carried out on family Pompilidae in Sari, Mazandaran. These species belonging to
the 12 genera and 24 species are revised, with detailed descriptions.

The species examined are deposited in the Agricultural and Natural Resources Research
Center of Mazandaran, Sari/Iran.

Material and Methods

S a m p l i n g a r e a . Mazandaran province is Hyrcanian region of Iran and located
along the Caspian coast and occupied three main habitats: alluvial flats of the coastal
plain, the northern slopes of the Elburz mountain chain and the subplain meadows of this
mountain chain. The most outstanding feature of this area is the broad-leaved deciduous
forests, which ranges in altitude from sea-level to 2800 above sea-level. During this

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