Page 2 - Amiresmaeili_et_alii_2010

© Entomofauna Ansfelden/Austria; download unter www.biologiezentrum.at
(HAUPT, 1927), Episyron arrogans (SMITH, 1873), Pamirospila magiana ZONSTEIN,
2000, Priocnemis fahringeri WOLF, 1963, Priocnemis melanosoma KOHL, 1880 und
Priocnemis sulci BALTHASAR, 1943) neu für die Fauna des Irans. Alle Gattungen mit
Ausnahme von Anoplius DUFOUR, 1834 und Cryptocheilus PANZER, 1806 sind neu für
die Provinz Mazandaran.
Introduction
Pompilidae, also known as "spider wasps", is a moderately sized cosmopolitan family of
Hymenoptera, with approximately 5.000 species in more than 230 genera worldwide
(WASBAUER 1995). They are slender wasps with long, spiny legs, posterodorsal margin
of pronotum usually weakly but sometimes moderately concave and somewhat quadrate,
also a very diagnostic transverse sulcus present across the mesopleuron. Typical
coloration tends to be black, black and red or yellow, sometimes with metallic reflection.
Most spider wasps are dark but some are brightly colored, with smoky or yellowish
wings and some abdominal terga have yellowish or reddish spots.
The adult pompilids and their larvae feed on flowers and paralyzed spiders, respectively.
Females of them prey exclusively upon spiders (hence the common name, spider wasps)
(EVANS & YOSHIMOTO 1962). They paralyze the spiders through stinging their nerve
centers. Female wasp digs nest in the ground by scraping soil backward with her forelegs
before or after hunting (depend on species). However, a few species make free nests
above ground, usually in protected places or with thick mud walls. The hunter carries the
paralyzed spider in the nest and then lays an egg on the prey body. The eggs hatch and
the larvae feed on live, paralyzed spiders until it is time to pupate (EVANS & SHIMIZU
1996).
The pompilid fauna of Iran is not well studied and only little information is available
about their occurrence, distribution, taxonomic and biologic status (EBRAHIMI et al.
2008). ESMAILI & RASTEGAR (1974) reported four species from Damavand (in vicinity
of Tehran). WOLF (2003) and EBRAHIMI et al. (2008) reported nine and 43 species from
various parts of Iran, respectively.
In the present study, a faunistic survey was carried out on family Pompilidae in central
regions of Mazandaran province.

Material and Methods

Sampling area. Mazandaran province is located at north of Iran along the southern coast
of Caspian Sea. It is situated between 35°47′ to 36°35′N and 50°34′ to 54°10′E, which
ranges in altitude from 21 to 2120 m above sea level.
The materials were collected from different parts of Mazandaran province during 2007-
2008. The geographical coordinates of sampling area are given in table 1.
Sampling methods and instruments. Sweeping net, window traps, Malaise traps and color
traps were used for collecting pompilid specimens. They will be presented hereafter as
SN, WT, MT and CT respectively.
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