Episyron Schiødte, 1837

Song, Zhiyan, Dong, Lili, Ma, Li & Li, Qiang, 2025, Review and key of the Chinese species of the genus Episyron Schiødte (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae), including descriptions of two new species, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 72 (2), pp. 133-154 : 133-154

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.3897/dez.72.138061
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8FEDD5CA-3502-413E-BA3D-0FF429B04860
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16783245
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/6361FC13-5A36-5593-95FE-A35D62B57519
treatment provided by	Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift by Pensoft
scientific name	Episyron Schiødte, 1837
status

Treatment

Genus Episyron Schiødte, 1837 View in CoL

Episyron Schiødte, 1837: 341. Type species: Sphex rufipes Linnaeus, 1758, monotype, by original designation. View in CoL

Epizuron Ashmead, 1902: 82. Subsequent misspelling of Episyron Schiødte, 1837.

Spilopompilus Ashmead, 1902: 81. Type species: Pompilus “ biguttulatus ” Fabricius, 1798 (subsequent misspelling of Pompilus biguttatus Fabricius, 1798), by original designation. Junior subjective synonym of Episyron Schiødte, 1837 according to Wahis 1986: 28.

Generic diagnosis.

Body black, many species exhibiting whitish or yellowish markings on pronotum and mesosoma, legs partly or wholly rufous. In both sexes, dense brown, gray or bluish white lanceolate scales largely covering pronotum, scutellum, metanotum, mesopleura, metapleura, propodeum, hind coxa dorsally and metasomal tergum 1. Mandible with two teeth on inner margin in female, one in male. Clypeus large, malar space short or practically absent (Figs 1 B View Figure 1 , 2 B View Figure 2 , 3 B View Figure 3 , 4 B View Figure 4 , 5 B View Figure 5 , 6 B View Figure 6 , 7 B View Figure 7 , 8 B View Figure 8 , 9 B View Figure 9 , 10 B View Figure 10 , 11 B View Figure 11 , 12 B View Figure 12 , 13 B View Figure 13 , 14 B View Figure 14 ). Antennae in general rather elongate, but in some males shorter. Legs strongly spinose, fore tibiae of females with a few spines and fore metatarsus with a strong comb; all claws bifid in both sexes, inner ray close to outer ray and more or less truncate; apical segment of fore tarsus unmodified, parallel – sided (Figs 1 F View Figure 1 , 3 F View Figure 3 , 4 F View Figure 4 , 6 F View Figure 6 , 8 F View Figure 8 , 9 F View Figure 9 , 11 F View Figure 11 , 13 F View Figure 13 ). Fore wing with three submarginal cells, SMC 2 long, SMC 3 short (Figs 1 E View Figure 1 , 3 E View Figure 3 , 4 E View Figure 4 , 5 E View Figure 5 , 6 E View Figure 6 , 7 E View Figure 7 , 8 E View Figure 8 , 9 E View Figure 9 , 10 E View Figure 10 , 11 E View Figure 11 , 12 E View Figure 12 , 13 E View Figure 13 , 14 E View Figure 14 ) ( Evans 1950, 1966; Kim 2022; Anju et al. 2024).

Biology.

Members of the genus Episyron are small to medium-sized predatory and parasitic wasps that prey on orb-weaver spiders ( Araneidae ). When hunting, the female wasp first stings and paralyzes the prey, then transports it back to the ground or carries it in flight to the vicinity of its nest, ultimately dragging the prey into the burrow ( Kurczewski and Kurczewski 1973; Kurczewski and Spofford 1986; Kurczewski 2001). Adults also have the habit of visiting flowers and males are considered potential pollinators. Episyron species prefer open environments with sandy soils and are often found around watercourses ( Wasbauer and Kimsey 1985). They typically nest in the soil, constructing short, sloping burrows. Their movements during flight and nesting are highly agile ( Evans 1950, 1997; Wasbauer and Kimsey 1985).

Distribution.

All major zoogeographic regions.

Key to the species of the genus Episyron Schiødte, 1837 from China

Females

Males (males are unknown for E. immaculatus Song & Ma, sp. nov., E. latimarginatus Tsuneki, 1989 , and E. rufotibialis Tsuneki, 1989 )