Tachypompilus ferrugineus ferrugineus (Say)

Identification: This moderately large species is fairly distinctive among Ohio's Pompilids. The tubercle between and slightly above the antennal sockets and the red and black coloration is particularly distinctive. Females possess a tarsal comb. Structurally the genus is similar to Anoplius, but they lack the strong, dense, bristly setae on the last tergite. They are also similar to some of the larger species of Arachnospila, but neither of the aforementioned genera are colored like Tachypompilus. Some Poecilopompilus bear a superficial resemblance to this genus but a number of characters separate the two genera (see key).

Taxonomy: Once placed under the genus Arachnophroctonus Ashmead, 1902, but that name was preoccupied by what is now a subgenus (Arachnophroctonus Howard, 1901) under the genus Anoplius Dufour.

Ecology and Biology: This is a species of open areas: old fields, meadows, prairies, woodland edges, and also human habitations. It is common on flowers: Daucus carota, Aralia spinosa, Monarda punctata, Ampelopsis arborea, Euphorbia marginata (Evans, 1949), Pastinaca sativa, Eryngium yuccifolium, Solidago spp., Asclepias sp., and Melilotus alba. Kurczewski (1990) reported on perching behavior in males, although he did not find that they were overtly territorial and male-male interactions were based on acceptance more than aggression. Females construct a rather shallow cup-shaped depression in the soil, deposit prey and fill it with soil and debris. Nests are constructed in a crevice at the base of a rock pile, walls, or building (Evans and Yoshimoto, 1962). Because of their nesting habits they sometimes find their way inside houses (Pers. obs.)  Prey is captured before nest construction and is dragged to the nest site backward, by the mouthparts (Evans and Yoshimoto, 1962). According to the account in Kurczewski (1990), paralysis is temporary. Prey is almost always Lycosidae, occasionally Pisauridae (Evans and Yoshimoto, 1962; Krombein et al., 1979).

Flight Period: 62 specimens. 23 June to 2 October. A vast majority of specimens (~85%) were captured in July and August. There is one generation per year.

Range: This subspecies is found in most of the eastern U.S. and parts of southern Canada. It is replaced in the New England states by the subspecies T. f. nigrescens (Banks) and in much of the west by T. f. torridus (Smith).

Ohio Distribution: Found statewide; recorded from the following 15 counties: Adams, Auglaize, Cuyahoga, Delaware, Erie, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Hocking, Montgomery, Muskingum, Ottawa, and Preble.