Spider Prey of Trypoxylon lactitarse Saussure (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)

Surveys of prey use by Trypoxylon lactitarse Saussure (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) were conducted in Clemson, SC, by placing trap-nests in four habitat types: a planted loblolly pine stand, a naturally-occurring mixed hardwood forest, an area of mowed grass containing scattered mature oaks, and a mowed pasture. Trypoxylon lactitarse only provisioned trap-nests in the planted pine and mixed hardwood habitats. All recovered trap-nests were found between 1 and 19 July 1991. In the pine habitat, two fully provisioned trap-nests were recovered that contained a total of 91 spiders in the families Araneidae (93.4%), Mimetidae (5.5%), and Tetragnathidae (1.1%). In the mixed hardwood forest, eight fully provisioned trap-nests were recovered, containing a total of 721 spiders in the families Araneidae (97.2%), Philodromidae (2.6%), and Mimetidae (0.1%). In the pine habitat, spiders consisted predominantly of Araneus spp. juveniles (58.2%) and the araneid Eustala cepina (Walckenaer) (28.6%); whereas, in the hardwood habitat E. cepina (81.8%) was the most abundant prey. Although prey use varied between the two habitats, within each habitat contents of individual trap-nests suggests that T. lactitarse exhibits a relatively high degree of prey constancy.