Poecilopompilus mixtus

(Fabricius, 1794)

Poecilopompilus mixtus is a spider wasp in the Pompilidae. It is a of colonial orb-weaving spiders in the Metepeira. The has been documented attacking social spider colonies in Mexico, where its hunting success is reduced when spiders form larger . It is one of several spider wasps in the genus Poecilopompilus that specialize in capturing orb-weaver spiders.

Poecilopompilus mixtus by Arthur de Jesús Chavarría Pérez. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.Wasp predating spider by Leonardo Ré-Jorge. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Poecilopompilus mixtus: /ˌpɛsɪloʊˈpɒmpɪləs ˈmɪkstəs/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

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Distribution

Records from Brazil indicate presence in multiple states: Ceará (BR-CE), Distrito Federal (BR-DF), Goiás (BR-GO), Minas Gerais (BR-MG), Mato Grosso do Sul (BR-MS), Mato Grosso (BR-MT), Pará (BR-PA), Paraná (BR-PR), Rio de Janeiro (BR-RJ), Roraima (BR-RR), Santa Catarina (BR-SC), and São Paulo (BR-SP).

Diet

Preys on orb-weaver spiders in the Araneidae, specifically colonial in the Metepeira. Has been observed attacking Metepeira incrassata colonies in Mexico.

Host Associations

  • Metepeira incrassata - preyColonial orb-weaving spider; social reduces risk from this

Behavior

Hunts colonial orb-weaving spiders. Hunting success decreases in larger spider colonies due to social defense .

Ecological Role

of colonial spiders; acts as a control agent for Metepeira .

Similar Taxa

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Sources and further reading