Ammosphex Wilcke 1942

Subgenus Ammosphex Wilcke, 1942

Psammochares (Psammochares) gibbus- group Haupt, 1927: 154, 162, 200.

Ammosphex Wilcke, 1942: 25 (type species Pompilus unguicularis Thomson, 1870 (= Pompilus anceps Wesmael, 1851), by original designation); Wilcke 1943: 12, 47.

Ammosphex (as subgenus of Arachnospila Kincaid, 1900): Wolf 1972: 109, Ƥ 3; Tobias 1978: 127, Ƥ 3; Day 1979: 11; Wahis 1986: 19; Lelej et al. 1994: 142, Ƥ 3; Lelej 1995: 238, 243, 3; 2000: 623; 2005: 127, Ƥ 3; Kurzenko et al. 1995: 301, 3; Shimizu 1996: 510; v.d. Smissen 1996: 73; Loktionov 2011: 83; Wahis 2011.

Ammosphex (as subgenus of Pompilus Fabricius, 1798): Evans 1951: 227, 3 Ƥ; Wolf 1966: 42, 44, 3 Ƥ; Krombein 1979: 1563.

Anopompilinus Dreisbach, 1949: 7, 10, 11 (type species Anopompilinus michiganensis Dreisbach, 1949, by monotypy). Junior subjective synonym of Ammosphex Wilcke, 1942 according to Evans 1951: 227.

Aridopompilus Wolf, 1965a: 101 (as subgenus of Pompilus Fabricius, 1798) (type species Pompilus ausus Tournier, 1890, by original designation); Wolf 1966: 42, 43, Ƥ 3 (as subgenus of Pompilus Fabricius, 1798). Junior subjective synonym of Ammosphex Wilcke, 1942 according to Wahis 1986: 19.

Boreopompilus Wolf, 1965a: 101 (as subgenus of Pompilus Fabricius, 1798) (type species Pompilus trivialis trivialis Dahlbom, 1843, by original designation); Wolf 1966: 43, 44, Ƥ 3 (as subgenus of Pompilus Fabricius, 1798); 1972: 98, 110, Ƥ 3 (as subgenus of Arachnospila Kincaid, 1900). Junior subjective synonym of Ammosphex Wilcke, 1942 according to Day 1979: 11.

Holarctopompilus Wolf, 1965a: 101 (type species Psammochares gibbomimus Haupt, 1929, by original designation); Wolf 1966: 42, 44, Ƥ 3 (as subgenus of Pompilus Fabricius, 1798); 1972: 98, 112, Ƥ 3 (as subgenus of Arachnospila Kincaid, 1900). Junior subjective synonym of Ammosphex Wilcke, 1942 according to Evans in Krombein 1979: 1563.

Saxatilipompilus Wolf, 1965a: 101 (type species Pompilus opinatus Tournier, 1890, by original designation); Wolf 1966: 42, 43, Ƥ 3 (as subgenus of Pompilus Fabricius, 1798); 1972: 103, 112, Ƥ 3 (as subgenus of Arachnospila Kincaid, 1900). Junior subjective synonym of Ammosphex Wilcke, 1942 according to Wahis 1986: 19.

Subgeneric characters (from: Evans 1951, with modification). Small wasps, 3.5 to 12 mm in length. Color black, some species with basal abdominal segments rufous. Body with variable amount of erect setae, but seldom as many as in the subgenus Arachnospila Kincaid, 1900; front and propodeum at most moderately setose. Mandibles bidentate in male, tridentate in female. Antennal segment 3 [flagellomere 1] of male over twice as long as thick, and as long as segment 4 [flagellomere 2]. Posterior margin of pronotum distinctly angulate. Postnotum [metapostnotum] of moderate length, at least half length of metanotum. Front tarsus of female with comb of short to fairly long spines, basitarsus always with three comb-spines [seldom with four comb-spines]. Last tarsomere of front tarsus of male strongly asymmetrical, with lobe on inner margin that reaches its widest at about middle of tarsomere, outer claw of this tarsomere bifid, the inner claw bifid with inner ray short and rounded. Pulvillar comb fairly well developed, of about 12 setulae for female, about 8 for male. Fore wing with basal [M] vein arising at or slightly before transverse median [cu-a] vein. Stigma very short; marginal [radial] cell short, not more than 2.5 × as long as high, at least 1.3 × its own length from the tip of the wing. Second and third submarginal [radio-medial] cells rather small, rarely wider than high, often higher than wide, much narrowed above [Figs 95–125]. Subgenital plate of male variously modified, never with large lateral expansions at the base or with palpus-like processes [Figs 1–37]. Genitalia [Figs 38–56] with double basal hooklets: parameres [gonostyli] long and more or less setose; digiti [volsella] of rather uniform pattern throughout group, expanded and curved apically, disc usually with area of feeble longitudinal striolations toward apex. Parapenials rather short, always shorter than aedoeagus; aedoeagus [penial valves] bearing somewhere along its margins number of small, pigmented, tooth-like projections, clearly visible under high magnification.

Biology. Members of this subgenus occur in a variety of habitats from open steppe areas to any type of forest, where they may be found close to the ground in sunny spots. A few data are known about the habitats of species from the Russian Far East and East Siberia. Usually Arachnospila (Ammosphex) kuwayamai (Ishikawa) and other species of the A. (A.) abnormis- group inhabit sandy shores of rivers and lakes.

The prey consists of spiders Lycosidae, Clubionidae, Gnaphosidae, Pisauridae, Salticidae, Thomisidae, Segestriidae (Evans 1951, Krombein 1979, WiŠniowski 2009).

Distribution. Holarctic Region; represented in Europe by 18 species, in Russia by 25 species, of which 19 species inhabit the Russian Far East and East Siberia and are included in this paper. Eleven species of this subgenus occur in North America (Krombein 1979).