THE SPIDER WASP, AGENI01DEUS APICALIS (HYMENOPTERA: POMPILIDAE) NEW TO BRITAIN, AND A SECOND BRITISH RECORD OF AGENIOIDEUS SER1CEUS

摘要

The spider wasp, Agenioideus apicalis (Vander Linden), is reported as new to Britain based on one specimen collected in the garden of the Natural History Museum, London. Morphological characters are given, and illustrated, to establish its identity and a key is provided to distinguish it from other British Pompilidae. Notes are provided on bionomics and its status in Britain. Two previously reported putative British specimens of A. apicalis collected in the mid-19th century were re-examined and theirprovenance is shown to be doubtful, and most likely of southern European origin, based on evidence of labelling, historical evidence of provenance and the known distribution of A. apicalis elsewhere in Europe. A second British specimen of Agenioideus sericeus (Vander Linden) is reported.