Batozonellus Explained

Batozonellus is a genus of the spider hunting wasps (insects belonging to the family Pompilidae).^[1]

Description

The species of the genus Batozonellus range from large to very large. Body is black and yellow. The compound eyes are large. Clypeus is short and broad. The wings are yellow. The tip of the forewing has a brownish band. The pterostigma is quite small. The tibiae have long spines. The females dig their nests in the ground and supply larvae with spiders of the family Araneidae.^[2]

Species

The species in the genus are:^[3]

• Batozonellus aliciae (Bingham, 1896)
• Batozonellus annulitarsis (Cameron, 1891)
• Batozonellus bipunctatus Banks, 1941
• Batozonellus exiguus Banks, 1947
• Batozonellus gundlachi (Cresson, 1865)
• Batozonellus ichneumonoides Banks, 1944
• Batozonellus inornatus Banks, 1945
• Batozonellus madecassus (Saussure, 1887)
• Batozonellus marcidus Banks, 1925
• Batozonellus multipictus (Smith, 1879)
• Batozonellus navus Briml., 1936
• Batozonellus orientalis (Cameron, 1891)
• Batozonellus pentodon Arlé, 1947
• Batozonellus separabilis (Turner, 1916)
• Batozonellus submaculatus Banks, 1934
• Batozonellus tricolor Turner, 1916
• Batozonellus vespoides Turner, 1916
• Batozonellus willistoni Banks, 1944

Some species formerly placed within the genus Batozonellus have been assigned to the genus Parabatozonus by some authorities, including the type species of the genus, Batozonellus fuliginosus. If this classification is to be followed then a new type species will have to be designated for Batozonellus. The species reclassified under Parabatozonus are:^[4]

• Batozonellus annulatus (Fabricius, 1793)
• Batozonellus bioculatus (Bingham, 1896)
• Batozonellus bracatus (Bingham, 1890)
• Batozonellus fuliginosus (Klug, 1834)
• Batazonus lacerticida (Pallas, 1771)
• Batozonellus maculifrons (Smith, 1873) — species studied for its venom Pompilidotoxin
• Batozonellus sareptanus (Tournier, 1889)
• Batozonellus truchmenus (Morawitz, 1888)
• Batozonellus unifasciatus (Smith, 1855)

Distribution and habitat

These wasps can be found in most of Europe.^[5] They colonize predominantly open habitats and forest edges. Under newer studies the genus Batozonellus sensu stricto is found only in Africa and Australia, and Parabatozonus is found in Europe, Asia and Africa.^{[3] [4]}

Notes and References

1. https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id70040/ Biolib
2. Bogdan Wiśniowski: Spider-hunting wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) of Poland. Ojców National Park, Ojców 2009, .
3. Web site: Batozonellus Arnold, 1937 . 20 April 2019 . GBIF.
4. Web site: Parabatozonus Yasumatsu, 1936 . 20 April 2019 . GBIF.
5. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924064216/http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=198259 Fauna europaea