Cerceris tolteca de Saussure 1867

Ga., Fla., La., Okla., Ark., Tex., Ariz.; Mexico, Honduras.

Cerceris tolteca Saussure

Cerceris tolteca Saussure, 1867:94.—Schletterer 1887:504.—Cameron 1890:109, pl. VII: fig. 4, 4a, b, c.—Dalla Torre, C. G., 1897:478.—Ashmead 1899:296.—Scullen. 1961:48; 1965a:512–514, figs. 98, 178a, b, c.

Cerceris cosmiocephala Cameron, 1904:67.

TYPES.—The original type female of C. tolteca Saussure from Cuernavaca, Mexico, was not found by the author at Vienna in 1959. A female from Cuernavaca at the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle was designated a lectotype by the author. The holotype male of C. cosmiocephala Cameron, from San Marcos, Nicaragua (C. F. Baker), is at the British Museum (21.1,373).

DISTRIBUTION.—Widely recorded from the southwestern states through Mexico to Costa Rica, Central America. Specimens from Mexico and Central America are as follows:

MEXICO: BAJA CALIFORNIA (north): 2♀, Las Animas, Sierra Laguna, 12 October 1941 (R and B); ♀, Big Canyon, same locality, 13 October 1941 (R and B). CHIAPAS: 4♂, Suchiapa, 18 July 1957 (PDHjr); ♂, Tuxtla Gutierrez, 12 August 1963 (P and S). CHIHUAHUA: ♂, 10 mi N Chihuahua, 17 August 1965 (HEE); ♂, Concho, 22 July 1938 (LJL); 2♀, 9 mi S Hidalgo del Parral, 6 July 1967 (RCG, Ko, KL); 2♂, 12 mi W Hidalgo del Parral, 6200 ft, 14 July 1964 (C and P); ♀, Garcia, July 1931 (B and C); ♂, 12 mi NW Gran Morelos, 15 August 1950 (RES); ♂, Santa Clara Canyon, 5 mi W Parrita, 21 June 1956 (JWM, DDL). DURANGO: ♂, Nombre de Dios, 1 August 1951 (PDHjr); ♀, San Juan del Rio, 5200 ft, 30 July 1947 (Spi). GUANAJUATO: ♂, Guanajuato (ED). GUERRERO: ♀, 20 mi E Acapulco, 11 August 1962 (UKE); ♂, Chilpancingo, 6 July 1963 (FMP). JALISCO: ♀, 3♂, Ajijic, 8–9, 13 July 1966 (RWi); ♂, Chapala, 19 July 1963 (S and B); ♀, ♂, Guadalajara, 22 June, 22 August 1903 (Mc); ♀, 6♂, same locality (C); ♀, 2♂, 8 mi SW San Juan de las Lagos, 4 August 1954 (L, S, and M); 2♀, 3 mi SE Plan de Barrancas, 8 July 1963 (P and S); 9, San Juan Lagos, 27 July 1951 (PDHjr); 2♀, “Jalisco,” 1900 (LDi). MORELOS: ♂, 5 km N Alpuyeca, 3400 ft, 10 August 1962 (HEE); ♂, Cuautla, 5 July 1961 (FMP); ♂, same locality, 27 August 1961 (FMP); 18♂, 14 mi S Cuernavaca, 3600 ft, 28 August 1963 (S and GEB); ♂, 35 mi S Cuernavaca, 2600 ft, 4 August 1954 (UKE); 3♂, 2♂, Huajintlan, 22 August 1956 (R and KD); ♂, Matamoros, 12 August 1903 (WLT); ♂, Puente de Ixtla, 31 August 1962 (FMP); ♂, Tequesquitengo, 15 July 1961 (R and KD); ♂, Xochicalco, 4000 ft, 13 July 1961 (R and KD); ♀, 4 mi SW Yautapec, 3800 ft, 2 July 1961, on Euphorbia (CDM); ♀, 10♂, 7.3 mi S Yautepec, 3000 ft, 15–17 August 1962 (MGN, RR, Nau); ♂, 8; mi S Yautepec, 16 August 1962 (RR, NM). NAYARIT: ♀, ♂, Ahuacatlan, 18–22 July 1951, at Donellsmithia Hintonii (PDH); 2♂, same locality and dates (HEE); 11♂, Arroyo Refelion, New Compostela, 8 August 1965 (HEE); ♂, 4 mi S Santa Isabel, 9 October 1950 (RFS); 3♂, Jesus Maria, 26 June, 27 July 1955 (BM); ♀, Tepic, 2–7 August 1947 (BM); ♂, same locality, 13 September 1957 (R and KD). NUEVO LEON: ♂, 50 mi SE Monterrey, 1700 ft, 13 October 1957 (HAS). OAXACA: 2♂, 7 mi NE Tehuantepec, 1300 ft, 9 July 1953 (UKE); ♂, 11 mi N junction Highways 190 and 185, 100 ft, 11 August 1963 (S and B). SAN LUIS POTOSÍ: ♂, 4 mi NE E1 Naranjo, 800 ft, 5 September 1962 (UKE); ♀, ♂, El Salto, 21 July, 4 September 1962, at Leguminosae (EO, R and M); ♂, same locality, 1700 ft, 15 July 1963 (UKE). SINALOA: ♂, 10 mi W Concordia, 30 October 1965 (GEB, ASB); ♂, 8 mi S Elota, 2 July 1963 (P and S); ♂, Mazatlan, 15–20 August 1962 (HEE). VERACRUZ: ♂, Acayucan, 23 October 1957 (R and KD); 2♂, 100 mi S Acayucan, 600 ft, 18 August 1963 (S and B); ♂, 20 mi SE Alvarado, 500 ft, 24 June 1961 (UKE); 49, 22♂, Minatitlan, 26 August-1 September 1961 (R and KD); ♂, 5 mi NE Tinajas, 18 August 1963 (P and S); ♂, Veracruz, 28 July-11 August 1956 (R and KD). YUCATAN: 5♀, Chichen Itza, 29 June (JB); 2♂, Merida, 22–25 July 1962 (HEE); ♂, Temax (Gau); ♀, ♂, N Yucatan (Gau). CENTRAL AMERICA: COSTA RICA: ♂, Coco, Guanacaste Province, 25 ft, 5 August 1962 (W and CDM); 44♂, Liberia, 400 ft, 7 and 16 mi SE Liberia, 300–400 ft, 3, 8, and 12 mi NW Liberia, 400 ft, 27–29 July 1963 (S and B); ♀, 2.5 mi W Liberia, 500 ft, 20 July 1961 (MEI); ♂, Liberia, Guanacaste Province, 6 August 1964 (GCE); 3♂, same locality and date (MN); ♂, Ototina, 1 May 1924 (JBr); ♂, Playas del Coco, Guanacaste Province, 5 August 1964 (R and GR). EL SALVADOR: 18♂, 1 to 3 mi NW and W Quezaltepeque, 25, 27, 30 June, 3, 5–6, 14, 17 July, 4, 24 August 1961 (MEI); 4♀, 43♂, Quezaltepeque, 500 ft, 21, 23 June, 1, 3, 6, 16–17 July, 2, 6 August 1963 (C and I); 14♂, same locality, 3 July 1963 (S and B). GUATAMALA: ♂, Variedades, 500 ft, 28 August 1947 (FJ, C and PV). HONDURAS: ♂, 18 mi NW Choluteca, 350 ft, 6 July 1963 (S and B); 2♂, Tegucigalpa (FJD). NICARAGUA: ♂, Granada (CFB); ♀, ♂, La Calera, 16, 17 August 1954 (WPf); ♂, San Marcos (B).

PREY RECORD.—None.

PLANT RECORD.—Donellsmithia Hintonii (Nayarit), Euphorbia species (Morelos).

Cerceris tolteca is a species of wasp in the family Crabronidae. It is found in Central America.