Checklist of the apoid wasps (Hymenoptera, Apoidea excluding Anthophila) of Canada, Alaska and Greenland

Matthias Buck; Andrew M. R. Bennett

doi:10.3897/jhr.98.143759

Checklist

Checklist of the apoid wasps (Hymenoptera, Apoidea excluding Anthophila) of Canada, Alaska and Greenland

Matthias Buck^‡, Andrew M. R. Bennett^§

‡ Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton, Canada

§ Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Ottawa, Canada

Corresponding author: Matthias Buck ( buckmb@gmail.com )

Academic editor: Michael Ohl

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC0 Public Domain Dedication.

Citation: Buck M, Bennett AMR (2025) Checklist of the apoid wasps (Hymenoptera, Apoidea excluding Anthophila) of Canada, Alaska and Greenland. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 98: 195-291. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.98.143759

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C399908C-5530-4D5D-810C-E6E0B9F56435

Abstract

The present checklist is the product of a critical taxonomic review of the Canadian/Alaskan fauna during the previous two decades. As of December 2024, 531 described species in 84 genera of apoid wasps (Ammoplanidae, Ampulicidae, Astatidae, Bembicidae, Crabronidae, Mellinidae, Pemphredonidae, Philanthidae, Psenidae, Sphecidae) are recorded from Canada and Alaska. Seventy species and two genera (Psammaletes Pate and Larra Fabricius) are newly recorded from the area, including eight accidentally introduced species and three naturally Holarctic species. Compared to the previous Catalog of Hymenoptera in America north of Mexico (Krombein 1979) the number of recorded species in Canada and Alaska has increased by 124% and the number of genera by 42%. The genera Foxia Ashmead and Pluto Pate are also recorded for the first time, but they are not included in the checklist because their species remain either unidentified or undescribed. A total of 23 species are non-native and have been introduced accidentally from other biogeographic regions. Crabro dietrichi R. Bohart is newly recognized as the only species endemic to the area of the checklist (restricted to Prince Edward Island, Canada). A total of 2109 provincial, territorial and Alaskan records are included, 705 of which (33.4%) are new. Records are based on verified material from 22 different collections, only 1.6% rely exclusively on data in the literature. The Alaskan fauna consists of 63 species (31 new records) in 24 genera (eight new records) and seven families, all of which are also known from Canada. No apoid wasps have been found in Greenland. The regions with the most diverse faunas are Alberta (326 species, 64 genera), Ontario (294 spp., 71 genera), British Columbia (292 spp., 64 genera) and Saskatchewan (248 spp., 58 genera). The highest number of new records are from Alberta (124 spp.), Saskatchewan (117 spp.), Manitoba (113 spp.) and New Brunswick (60 spp.). The greatest numbers of species exclusive to one political area within Canada and Alaska are recorded from British Columbia (63 spp.) and Ontario (44 spp.). In order to clarify species concepts, type material or images of types of 57 nominal species were examined. This led to 25 taxonomic changes. Eight synonyms are reinstated as valid species: Gorytes decorus Fox, sp. restit., Nysson freyigessneri Handlirsch, sp. restit., Lindenius errans (Fox), sp. restit., Oxybelus pacificus (Rohwer), sp. restit., Diodontus antennatus (Mickel), sp. restit. (extralimital to the area of the checklist), D. nigritus Fox, sp. restit. and Pemphredon bipartior Fox, sp. restit. Diodontus beulahensis (Rohwer), sp. restit. (extralimital to the area of the checklist) is a suspected synonym of D. americanus Packard. Fourteen new or revised synonymies are proposed: Crabro canningsi Finnamore, syn. nov. = C. maeklini Morawitz, Crossocerus eriogoni (Rohwer), syn. nov. = C. minimus (Packard), Solierella foxii (Viereck, 1906; nec 1902) (preoccupied), syn. rev. = S. mammillata Buck, nom. nov.; Diodontus gillettei Fox, syn. nov., D. rugosus Fox, syn. nov., D. florissantensis Rohwer, syn. rev., D. bidentatus Rohwer, syn. nov., D. siouxensis (Mickel), syn. nov., and D. striatus (Mickel), syn. nov. are all = D. americanus; D. vallicolae Rohwer, syn. nov., D. vallicolae salicis Rohwer, syn. rev., D. maestus (Mickel), syn. rev. and D. ater (Mickel), syn. rev. are all = D. nigritus Fox; Mimesa gregaria (Fox), syn. nov. = M. unicincta Cresson. Two new replacement names are proposed for preoccupied names: Solierella mammillata Buck, nom. nov. (for Niteliopsis foxii Viereck, 1906) and Mimesa curta Pulawski & Buck, nom. nov. (for Psen simplex Malloch, 1933). In an appendix, taxonomic changes and revised species concepts of 33 species or species complexes are briefly explained in order to clarify their status and avoid confusion. The biogeography of Canadian and Alaskan species is discussed, including Holarctic species and species shared with other biogeographic regions, distribution patterns within the Nearctic region, endemism, remarkable new records, geographic prevalence of nesting habits, distribution patterns and introduction timelines of introduced species, as well as faunal change. Diodontus minutus (Fabricius) is newly recognized as an introduced species from the Palearctic region despite first being discovered in North America in 1934. Based on literature data and observations on the internet platform iNaturalist.org, we document recent, rapid range expansions in ten native species of Sphecidae, Philanthidae and Bembicidae. These trends are likely caused by climate change and are projected to further increase apoid wasp diversity in Canada in the future. Lastly, we discuss the important contribution citizen science is making to faunistic wasp research through iNaturalist and other collaborative websites.

Keywords

Ammoplanidae, Ampulicidae, Astatidae, Bembicidae, biogeography, citizen science, Crabronidae, endemism, faunal and climate change, introduced species, Mellinidae, Nearctic region, new records, new synonyms, Pemphredonidae, Philanthidae, Psenidae, species distribution, Sphecidae, taxonomy

Introduction

This checklist details the apoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Apoidea, excluding Anthophila) of Canada, Alaska and Greenland and is the fourth checklist in the series (see Bennett 2021; Goulet and Bennett 2021; Huber et al. 2021; Bennett et al. 2024). Apoid wasps include some of the most charismatic and attractive species of Hymenoptera that have fascinated both researchers and naturalists alike. Not surprisingly, they are also among the most thoroughly studied groups of wasps in our fauna (Bohart and Menke 1976). Worldwide, they include 10,210 described species (Pulawski 2025), roughly 7% of all described Hymenoptera, which are estimated to comprise around 154,000 species (Huber 2017). The vast majority of apoid wasps are idiobiont ectoparasitoids of other insects and spiders (often incorrectly referred to as “predators” in older literature, e.g., Bohart and Menke 1976). Depending on the taxon, adult female wasps provide various levels of brood care to their offspring. In the study area, the host spectrum includes nine insect orders: Orthoptera, Blattodea, Thysanoptera, Hemiptera, Psocodea, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, and Diptera (e.g., Bohart and Menke 1976; Evans 1966; Evans and O’Neill 2007; Krombein 1967). Hosts are usually either immature stages or adults but may include both, depending on the species (Evans 1966; Krombein 1967). Females sting the host after capture in order to paralyze it. In most species the paralysis is permanent (Andrietti 2011). Members of the genus Microbembex Patton (Fig. 16) are the only apoid wasps that provision their nests with dead arthropods (Evans 1966). Most species excavate ground nests or use pre-existing cavities above ground (e.g., old burrows in dead wood) to protect their offspring and food provisions from predators, parasitoids and adverse environmental conditions. The nesting habits of some species are intermediate between the two categories, e.g., when pre-existing ground burrows are used as nest sites (e.g., in Solierella Spinola, see Williams 1950). Nesting habits are usually conserved within each genus, except in a few cases in which they diverge between subgenera (e.g., in Crossocerus Lepeletier & Brullé, see Pate 1944). Ground-nesting species can be recognized by unique morphological adaptations in females that facilitate digging and nest construction such as rake setae on the fore tarsus and a flattened pygidial plate on the last tergum (Bohart and Menke 1976). Only a few species in the study area construct free-standing mud nests (e.g., Coville 1982; Sheldon 1968; Shafer 1949; Figs 88–89). Nest construction as well as other aspects of brood care fall exclusively on the female, except for a few species in which males may guard the nest (Krombein 1967; Coville 1982). Depending on the species, nests are comprised of one or more cells, with plasticity in some species (e.g., Evans 1966; Kurczewski 2010). Each cell is provisioned with multiple hosts, except for Ampulicidae and Larra Fabricius in which the larva develops on a single host (e.g., Krombein 1967; Menke 1992). Most species practice mass provisioning, which means that all hosts are stored in the nest before the larva emerges. A few, highly evolved species provision progressively, i.e., hosts are brought in as the larva develops (e.g., Evans 1965, 1966). Nyssoninae and Stizoides Guérin-Méneville (Fig. 31) are kleptoparasites in the nests of other apoid wasps (Evans 1966). The complex biology of apoid wasps has been the subject of many behavioural and evolutionary studies (e.g., Evans 1962; Alcock et al. 1978; Kurczewski 2010; Andrietti 2011; Coelho 2011). Extensive taxonomic-systematic research during the 20^th century has furthermore created a solid taxonomic framework for the Nearctic fauna (summarized by Bohart and Menke 1976; Pulawski 2025), though recent genetic studies have led to changes in the higher classification (e.g., Sann et al. 2018, 2020). More recently, apoid wasps have attracted attention from ecologists and conservation researchers due to the preferences of some species for sensitive and endangered habitat types such as dune systems, native prairie, etc. (e.g., Acorn 2011; Kurczewski 2000; Onuferko et al. 2023; Heneberg et al. 2013). Last but not least, the recent publication of excellent natural history books on Hymenoptera and aculeate wasps (e.g., Marshall 2023; Holm 2021) has made the group much more accessible to naturalists and the general public. Citizen science platforms such as iNaturalist.org and BugGuide.net, have furthermore contributed to an exponential growth of interest in apoid wasps and other aculeates. Despite being the focus of such broad attention, faunistic knowledge of Canadian and Alaskan apoid wasps has developed slowly and is still fragmentary for many regions.

Previous to this checklist, the most comprehensive source of distributional data on Canadian and Alaskan apoid wasps has been the Catalog of Hymenoptera in America north of Mexico (Krombein 1979) and its predecessor (Krombein 1951). In these works, distributions are often presented as ranges, without explicitly mentioning provinces and territories. This, and the numerous new records that have been discovered since have prompted the need for a more detailed and up-to-date resource for Canada and Alaska. Foundational from a taxonomic perspective is Bohart and Menke’s (1976) Sphecid Wasps of the World – a Generic Revision, which provides keys to the families and genera, catalogs all the species, diagnoses genera, tribes, subfamilies and families, discusses their systematics and summarizes the biological knowledge and range information available at the time. Pulawski (2025) provides an up-to-date synonymic catalog and classification of World species with type information and extensive literature references for each species, a complete bibliography, including a table with numbers of valid species for every genus worldwide. This monumental and exceptionally detailed work contributed extensively to the present checklist.

Regional checklists are currently only available for half of the Canadian provinces and territories. The oldest one is the list for Alberta (Strickland 1947), followed by Finnamore (1982, 1997) for southern Quebec and the Yukon, respectively, Buck (2004) for Ontario, and Ratzlaff (2016) for British Columbia. Similarly, the database of the University of Alaska Museum through Arctos (UAM 2024) has served as an Alaskan checklist for about a decade (e.g., see Sikes and Allen 2016). Other important sources of faunistic data are Steiner (1973) for the Northwest Territories and Yukon, Blades and Maier (1996) for the southern Okanagan region of British Columbia, Finnamore (1994) for central Alberta, Finnamore and Buckle (1999) for the Canadian Forces Base Suffield in Alberta, and Onuferko et al. (2023) for dune areas in the Canadian Prairie provinces. Pioneering faunistic-taxonomic studies that are now outdated and merely of historical interest include Provancher’s Faune Canadienne (1877–1882, 1883a) and Petite faune entomologique du Canada (1883b, 1885–1889), Harrington (1902) for the Ottawa area of Ontario, Carter (1925) for Alberta, and Spencer and Wellington (1948) for British Columbia (Sphecidae only).

Methods

Sources of data

The present checklist is the result of a critical review of the apoid wasp fauna of Canada and Alaska that started in 2001 and involved examination of thousands of specimens from various collections. The majority of records are based on material in the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Ottawa, Ontario (CNC), the Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton, Alberta (PMAE), and the University of Guelph, Ontario (DEBU). In addition, we examined specimens from the following collections (listed alphabetically): , Lincoln Best collection (private), Corvallis, Oregon (BEST) , Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, Guelph, Ontario (BIOUG) , Bohart Museum of Entomology, University of California, Davis, California (BMEC) , Canadian Museum of Nature, Gatineau, Quebec (CMNC) , Gerald Hilchie Collection (private), Edmonton, Alberta (GJHC) , Insectarium de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec (IMQC) , Lyman Entomological Museum, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec (LEMQ) , Manitoba Museum, Winnipeg, Manitoba (MMMN) , New Brunswick Museum, Saint John, New Brunswick (NBMB) , Natural History Museum, London, U.K. (NHMUK) , Northern Forestry Centre, Edmonton, Alberta (NOFC) , Laurence Packer Collection, York University, Toronto, Ontario (PCYU) , Royal BC Museum, Victoria, British Columbia (RBCM) , Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario (ROM) , Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Regina, Saskatchewan (RSKM) , Spencer Entomological Collection, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (SMDV) , College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, New York (SUNY) , University of Alaska Museum of the North, Fairbanks, Alaska (UAM) , Strickland Entomological Museum, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta (UASM) , J. B. Wallis / R. E. Roughley Museum of Entomology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba (WRME).

Type material was examined from the following collections (see also start of Appendix 1):

Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (ANSP) , Canadian National Collection of Insects, Ottawa, Ontario (CNC) , Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (MCZC) , Collection Entomologique de l’Université Laval, Laval, Quebec (ULQC) , Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (UMMZ) , University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska (UNSM) and United States National Museum, Washington, DC (USNM).

We also included new records from the citizen science platforms iNaturalist (www.inaturalist.org) (acronym: iNat) and BugGuide (bugguide.net) (acronym: BugG) if we were able to verify identifications based on the provided images. Furthermore, we included some COI sequence-based records from the Barcode of Life Data System (www.boldsystems.org) (acronym: BOLD). These records were considered valid if they satisfied one of the following criteria: 1) Species identifications could be corroborated independently based on examination of voucher specimens or images of voucher specimens provided on their website, or 2) when sequences either matched those of expert-identified specimens or those of specimens in the first category. We consider this sufficient proof since preliminary data have shown that apoid wasps are generally well identifiable by their DNA barcodes (Schmid-Egger et al. 2018). Unverified literature records make up a very small portion (1.6%) of the records in this checklist. We consider these records credible even though we have not personally seen any specimens from the same jurisdictions. Doubtful literature records were not included but are mentioned in the notes under each genus (or subgenus) in Table 2. Erroneous records are dealt with in the same way. In some cases, erroneous deleted records were added back as new records supported by more recent data. Erroneous records from the 19^th century are not listed unless they were included in Krombein (1979) or in regional checklists. For species with described subspecies, we mention the subspecies that occur in the area of the checklist in the notes under genera or subgenera in Table 2. The two records for the French islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon near the southern coast of Newfoundland are based on the TAXREF database (Gargominy et al. 2021) and iNaturalist. No apoid wasps have been documented from Greenland. With respect to the recorded species numbers (Table 1), we only include described species in the totals, not undescribed taxa or specimens identified only to genus, although we do note two newly recorded genera for Canada for which no described or identified species are currently known (see Results and discussion – Overview of the fauna, below). Fossils are not included in the checklist. All records published up to the end of 2024 were evaluated for the current checklist.

Table 1.

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Number of described, recorded species (upper half) and genera (lower half) of apoid wasps (Apoidea excluding Anthophila) of Canada, Alaska and Greenland by family and region. See Methods for explanation of acronyms and Fig. 1 for a map of their locations. Other explanations: Total New Records: total of new provincial/territorial/Alaskan records (column 1) or new provincial/territorial records (column 2); Total records: total of provincial/territorial/Alaskan records (column 1) or provincial/territorial records (column 2).

NUMBER OF SPECIES	CAN + AK+GL	CAN (new)	CAN % new	AK	YT	NT	NU	BC	AB	SK	MB	ON	QC	NB	PE	NS	LB	NF	GL
Ammoplanidae	8	8(3)	37.5	0	0	0	0	4	4	2	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ampulicidae	2	2(0)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0
Astatidae	22	22(4)	18.2	3	6	6	1	18	18	12	5	6	5	2	1	2	0	0	0
Bembicidae	88	88(9)	10.2	6	7	7	0	46	52	37	34	41	27	15	7	13	0	1	0
Crabronidae	199	199(29)	14.2	30	35	32	2	102	122	91	79	121	82	45	24	36	10	24	0
Mellinidae	2	2(0)	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Pemphredonidae	54	54(10)	18.5	13	15	14	0	41	35	18	15	34	29	17	6	13	2	11	0
Philanthidae	58	58(4)	6.9	1	2	3	0	25	36	33	26	29	20	9	4	6	0	0	0
Psenidae	38	38(8)	21.1	7	7	10	0	17	19	20	12	28	20	12	4	10	6	5	0
Sphecidae	60	60(3)	5.0	3	4	4	0	39	39	34	23	30	21	18	9	12	2	1	0
TOTAL SPECIES	531	531(70)	13.0	63	76	76	3	292	326	248	195	294	209	118	55	92	20	42	0
TOTAL NEW RECORDS	705	674	69	31	13	25	3	45	124	117	113	20	40	60	35	44	8	27	0
% NEW RECORDS	34	33		49	17	33	100	15	38	47	58	7	19	51	64	48	40	64	0
Total Records	2109	2046
NUMBER OF GENERA			CAN	AK	YT	NT	NU	BC	AB	SK	MB	ON	QC	NB	PE	NS	LB	NF	GL
Ammoplanidae			5	0	0	0	0	3	4	2	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ampulicidae			2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0
Astatidae			3	2	3	3	1	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1	1	0	0	0
Bembicidae			24	4	4	4	0	19	18	16	14	19	12	9	7	8	0	1	0
Crabronidae			23	9	7	10	2	17	18	17	17	21	18	13	9	10	4	7	0
Mellinidae			1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Pemphredonidae			5	4	4	4	0	5	5	5	4	5	5	5	2	4	2	3	0
Philanthidae			5	1	2	2	0	5	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	3	0	0	0
Psenidae			5	2	2	2	0	3	2	2	2	5	5	3	2	4	2	2	0
Sphecidae			11	2	2	2	0	9	9	8	7	11	8	8	6	6	1	1	0
TOTAL GENERA			84	24	24	27	3	64	64	58	52	71	59	42	30	36	9	14	0

Table 2.

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Checklist of described species of apoid wasps (Apoidea excluding Anthophila) of Canada, Alaska and Greenland. See Methods for explanation of acronyms and Fig. 1 for their locations. The far right distributional column represents Greenland. Records in black, regular font have previously been published and were verified either through specimens or images of specimens. Red, boldfaced records are new (unpublished) and based on examined specimens, images of specimens or verified COI sequence data. Species denoted with the “§” symbol have been introduced to the Nearctic from other biogeographic regions (see also Table 5). Examined voucher specimens are deposited in the CNC, unless noted otherwise in the far right column. Blue, italicized records are previously published but no specimens or images of specimens have been examined. Literature references are only given for “blue” records. For species with more than one reference or depository, the references/depositories are listed in order from left to right in accordance with the order of distributional columns. Notes are provided at the end of each genus or subgenus as required. Taxonomic references are provided below each genus- or family-group name. For family group taxa, keys to subfamilies, tribes, genera and subgenera are found in Bohart and Menke (1976), besides other sources that are mentioned explicitly.

ORDER HYMENOPTERA

SUPERFAMILY APOIDEA (excluding Anthophila)

Generic revision and world checklist – Bohart and Menke 1976; world catalog and bibliography – Pulawski 2025; Nearctic catalog – Krombein 1979. Checklists: YT – Finnamore 1997; NT – Steiner 1973; BC – Ratzlaff 2016; AB – Strickland 1947; ON – Buck 2004; southern QC – Finnamore 1982.

FAMILY AMMOPLANIDAE Evans, 1959

Key to genera – Smith 2020.

Genus Ammoplanellus Gussakovskij, 1931

North American review – Smith 2019.

A. umatilla (Pate, 1945)

CAN

–

PMAE

Genus Ammoplanops Gussakovskij, 1931

Nearctic revision – Bohart and Smith 1978.

A. moenkopi Pate, 1939

CAN

–

PMAE; RSKM

Genus Ammoplanus Giraud, 1869

North American review – Smith 2009.

A. unami Pate, 1937

CAN

–

PMAE

A. vanyumi Pate, 1943

CAN

–

Smith 2009

Genus Parammoplanus Pate, 1939 ¹

Nearctic review – Smith 2010.

P. irwini N. Smith, 2010

CAN

–

RBCM; PMAE

P. lenape (Pate, 1937) ²

CAN

–

P. verrucosus N. Smith, 2010

CAN

–

RBCM

● ¹ Excluded species: P. apache (Pate, 1937), BC-Scudder 1994, misidentifications of P. irwini and P. verrucosus. ● ² BC-Scudder 1994: misidentifications of P. irwini and P. verrucosus.

Genus Pulverro Pate, 1937

Key to species – Smith 1983.

P. columbianus (Kohl, 1890)

CAN

–

SK-RSKM

FAMILY AMPULICIDAE Shuckard, 1840

SUBFAMILY AMPULICINAE Shuckard, 1840

Genus Ampulex Jurine, 1807

A. canaliculata Say, 1823

CAN

–

SUBFAMILY DOLICHURINAE Dahlbom, 1842

Genus Dolichurus Latreille, 1809

D. greenei Rohwer, 1916

CAN

–

FAMILY ASTATIDAE Lepeletier, 1845

Genus Astata Latreille, 1796

Revision of species in America north of Mexico – Parker 1962.

A. bakeri F. Parker, 1962 ¹

CAN

–

A. bechteli F. Parker, 1962 ²

CAN

–

BC,SK-RSKM; AB-PMAE

A. bicolor Say, 1823 ³

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; Finnamore 1982

A. leuthstromi Ashmead, 1897

CAN

–

Parker 1962; YT-SMDV; MB-WRME; NB-LEMQ

A. mexicana Cresson, 1881

CAN

–

A. nevadica Cresson, 1881 ⁴

CAN

–

SK-RSKM

A. nubecula Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

AK-SMDV; NT-RBCM; ON-DEBU

A. occidentalis Cresson, 1881

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; SK-GJHC; ON-DEBU

A. unicolor Say, 1824 ⁵

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; QC-LEMQ; NB-iNat 2022a; NS-RSKM

A. williamsi F. Parker, 1962

CAN

–

PMAE

● ¹ ON-Parker 1962: misidentification of A. bicolor (CNC). ● ² AB-Finnamore and Buckle 1999: misidentification of A. nubecula. ● ³ BC-Ratzlaff 2016: misidentification of A. bakeri. ● ⁴ AB-Strickland 1947: misidentification of A. bakeri. ● ⁵ AB-Finnamore and Buckle 1999: misidentification of A. nubecula.

Genus Diploplectron Fox, 1893 ¹

North American revision – Parker 1972.

D. brunneipes (Cresson, 1881) ²

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

D. californicum F. Parker, 1972

CAN

–

RBCM

D. ferrugineum Ashmead, 1899 ³

CAN

–

NOFC; RSKM

D. fossor Rohwer, 1909

CAN

–

Parker 1972; AB-PMAE

D. peglowi Krombein, 1939 ⁴

CAN

–

YT,BC-SMDV

● ¹ See Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. ● ² BC-Ratzlaff 2016, AB-Strickland 1947 (as D. bidentatum Ashmead, 1899) and AB-Finnamore and Buckle 1999: misidentifications of D. fossor. ● ³ SK-Sheffield 2017. ● ⁴ BC-Blades and Maier 1996: misidentification of D. brunneipes. Note: this might be a complex of two species.

Genus Dryudella Spinola, 1843

North American revision – Parker 1969.

D. caerulea (Cresson, 1881)

CAN

–

SMDV; PMAE; RSKM

D. elegans (Cresson, 1881)

CAN

–

SMDV

D. immigrans (Williams, 1946)

CAN

–

SMDV

D. montana (Cresson, 1881)

CAN

–

NT-UASM

D. picta (Kohl, 1888) ¹

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; SK-RSKM

D. pinguis (Dahlbom, 1832)

CAN

–

AK-UAM; NU-DEBU

D. rhimpa F. Parker, 1969 ²

CAN

–

● ¹ NT-Steiner 1973: misidentification of D. montana. ● ² YT-Finnamore 1997: misidentification of D. montana.

FAMILY BEMBICIDAE Latreille, 1802

SUBFAMILY ALYSSONTINAE Dalla Torre, 1897

Genus Alysson Panzer, 1806

Synopsis of North American species – Fox 1894b.

A. conicus Provancher, 1889

CAN

–

MB-WRME

A. guignardi Provancher, 1887 ¹

CAN

–

MB-WRME; PE-PMAE; NS-BIOUG

A. melleus Say, 1837

CAN

–

MB-WRME

A. oppositus Say, 1837

CAN

–

NS-BIOUG

A. radiatus Fox, 1894

CAN

–

A. triangulifer Provancher, 1887 ²

CAN

–

NB-BugG 2019a; NF-NOFC

● ¹ YT-Finnamore 1997 and BC-Ratzlaff 2016: misidentifications of A. triangulifer. ● ² A. t. triangulifer is eastern, A. t. shawi Bradley, 1920, AB to AK.

Genus Didineis Wesmael, 1852

Key to North American species – Malloch and Rohwer 1930.

D. dilata Malloch & Rohwer, 1930

CAN

–

ON-DEBU

D. latimana Malloch & Rohwer, 1930 ¹

CAN

–

D. nodosa Fox, 1894

CAN

–

AB,SK-PMAE

D. peculiaris Fox, 1894

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

D. stevensi Rohwer, 1923

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; SK-CMNC

D. texana (Cresson, 1873) ²

CAN

–

ON-DEBU

● ¹ AB-Finnamore and Buckle 1999: misidentifications of D. stevensi and D. dilata. ● ² QC-Finnamore 1982: misidentification of D. latimana (see Buck 2004).

SUBFAMILY BEMBICINAE Latreille, 1802

Key to tribes – Nemkov and Ohl 2011 (as subtribes).

TRIBE BEMBICINI Latreille, 1802

Genus Bembix Fabricius, 1775

Key to North American species – Evans and Matthews 1968; key to California species (including all Canadian species) – Bohart and Horning 1971.

B. americana Fabricius, 1793 ¹

CAN

–

AK-iNat 2022b; NS-RSKM

B. amoena Handlirsch, 1893 ²

CAN

–

B. pallidipicta F. Smith, 1873

CAN

–

QC-iNat 2024a

B. sayi Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

● ¹ B. a. spinolae Lepeletier, 1845 east of Rocky Mountains, B. a. comata Parker, 1917 in BC, AK. ● ² AB-Evans and Matthews 1968: likely misidentification of B. sayi (locality and depository unknown).

Genus Bicyrtes Lepeletier, 1845

Review – Bohart 1996; key to North American species – Bohart and Horning 1971.

B. quadrifasciatus (Say, 1824)

CAN

–

QC-BugG 2013a

B. ventralis (Say, 1824)

CAN

–

NB-iNat 2019a

Genus Microbembex Patton, 1879

Key to North American species – Bohart and Horning 1971.

M. californica R. Bohart, 1970

CAN

–

M. monodonta (Say, 1824) ¹

CAN

–

M. nigrifrons (Provancher, 1889)

CAN

–

● ¹ See Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes.

Genus Stictia Illiger, 1807

Revision – Parker 1929.

S. carolina (Fabricius, 1793) ¹

CAN

–

DEBU

● ¹ Occurrence status uncertain: perhaps migratory, potentially expanding its range northward.

TRIBE EXEIRINI Dalla Torre, 1897

Genus Argogorytes Ashmead, 1899

Key to New World species – Bohart 2000.

A. nigrifrons (F. Smith, 1856)

CAN

–

QC-LEMQ; NB-PMAE; PE-iNat 2021a; NS-NHMUK

Genus Clitemnestra Spinola, 1851

Key to New World species – Bohart 2000.

C. bipunctata (Say, 1824)

CAN

–

SK-RSKM

TRIBE GORYTINI Lepeletier, 1845

Key to genera – Nemkov 2010.

Genus Gorytes Latreille, 1804

Key to Quebec species – Finnamore 1982.

G. albosignatus Fox, 1892

CAN

–

YT-PMAE; NT-UASM

G. angustus (Provancher, 1895) ¹

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

G. atricornis Packard, 1867 ²

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

G. canaliculatus Packard, 1867

CAN

–

AK-UAM; YT-RBCM; SK-CMNC; QC-LEMQ; NS-PMAE

G. deceptor Krombein, 1958 ³

CAN

–

AB,MB-PMAE; QC-LEMQ

G. decorus Fox, 1896, sp. restit. ⁴

CAN

–

PMAE

G. dorothyae Krombein, 1950 ⁵

CAN

–

WRME

G. flagellatus R. Bohart, 1971 ⁶

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

G. provancheri Handlirsch,1895 ¹

CAN

–

G. simillimus F. Smith, 1856

CAN

–

● ¹ See Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. ● ² BC-Krombein 1979: doubtful. BC-Ratzlaff 2016: misidentification of G. flagellatus. ● ³ MB-Wrigley 2019. ● ⁴ Reinstated from synonymy with G. atricornis, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. AB-Strickland 1947: misidentification of G. simillimus. ● ⁵ Nominate subspecies. ● ⁶ BC-Ratzlaff 2016: misidentification of G. albosignatus. See also note 2.

Genus Harpactus Shuckard, 1837

North American review – Bohart 1980 (as Dienoplus Fox).

H. gyponae Williams, 1914

CAN

–

H. mendicus (Handlirsch, 1893)

CAN

–

RBCM; PMAE

H. pictifrons (Fox, 1894)

CAN

–

AB,SK-PMAE

H. rugulosus (R. Bohart, 1980)

CAN

–

RBCM; PMAE

Genus Hoplisoides Gribodo, 1884

Canadian review – Buck 2007; North American review - Bohart 1997.

H. costalis (Cresson, 1873) ¹

CAN

–

AB,SK-PMAE; MB-WRME

H. hamatus (Handlirsch, 1888)

CAN

–

H. nebulosus (Packard, 1867) ²

CAN

–

SK-CMNC; MB-WRME; QC-LEMQ; NS-iNat 2020a

H. placidus (F. Smith, 1856) ³

CAN

–

SK-CMNC; MB-WRME; QC-LEMQ

H. punctifrons (Cameron, 1890)

CAN

–

H. pygidialis (Fox, 1896)

CAN

–

PMAE

H. splendidulus (Bradley, 1920)

CAN

–

PMAE

H. tricolor (Cresson, 1868)

CAN

–

RBCM

● ¹ AK-Krombein 1979: likely in error (depository unknown). ● ² H. n. nebulosus NS to MB, H. n. spilopterus (Handlirsch, 1888) SK to BC. ● ³ H. p. pergandei (Handlirsch, 1888).

Genus Lestiphorus Lepeletier, 1832

North American review – Pate 1946.

L. cockerelli (Rohwer, 1909)

CAN

–

NT-UASM; AB-PMAE; QC-LEMQ; NB-DEBU; NS-iNat 2023a

L. piceus (Handlirsch, 1888)

CAN

–

YT-BOLD 2016a; AB,SK-PMAE

Genus Oryttus Spinola, 1836 ¹

Synopsis of New World species – Bohart 1968.

O. gracilis (Patton, 1879) ²

CAN

–

PMAE; ROM

O. mirandus (Fox, 1892)

CAN

–

SMDV

● ¹ Excluded species: O. laminiferus (Fox, 1896), BC-Ratzlaff 2016, misidentification of O. mirandus. ● ² O. g. gracilis in ON, O. g. arapaho (Pate, 1938) in AB; ON: occurrence status uncertain, based on a single specimen from 1920 (Buck 2004).

Genus Psammaletes Pate, 1936

Key to species – Bohart 2000.

P. mexicanus (Cameron, 1890)

CAN

–

DEBU

Genus Saygorytes Nemkov, 2007

Key to species – Bohart 1969 (as Pseudoplisus phaleratus-group).

S. phaleratus (Say, 1837)

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; SK,NS-RSKM; MB-WRME; NB-BugG 2014a; PE-iNat 2022c

TRIBE SPHECIINI Nemkov & Ohl, 2011

Genus Sphecius Dahlbom, 1843

Key to New World species – Holliday and Coelho 2006.

S. speciosus (Drury, 1773) ¹

CAN

–

● ¹ BC-iNat 2023l, 2024d: likely adventive.

TRIBE STICTIELLINI R. Bohart & Horning, 1971

Keys to genera and species – Bohart and Gillaspy 1985.

Genus Glenostictia Gillaspy, 1962

G. pictifrons (F. Smith, 1856)

CAN

–

DEBU

G. pulla (Handlirsch, 1890)

CAN

–

SMDV

Genus Steniolia Say, 1837

S. obliqua (Cresson, 1865)

CAN

–

S. scolopacea Handlirsch, 1889 ¹

CAN

–

S. tibialis Handlirsch, 1889

CAN

–

● ¹ S. s. albicantia J. Parker, 1917.

Genus Stictiella J. Parker, 1917 ¹

S. emarginata (Cresson, 1865)

CAN

–

S. pulchella (Cresson, 1865) ²

CAN

–

CMNC; RSKM

S. speciosa (Cresson, 1865)

CAN

–

Krombein 1979

S. tuberculata (Fox, 1895)

CAN

–

● ¹ Excluded species: S. spinifera (Mickel, 1916), AB-Strickland 1947, misidentification of S. speciosa. ● ² S. p. plana (Fox, 1895).

TRIBE STIZINI Costa, 1859

Genus Stizoides Guérin–Méneville, 1844

Revision – Ohl 1999.

S. renicinctus (Say, 1823) ¹

CAN

–

SK-iNat 2023b

● ¹ ON: likely recorded in error, see discussion in Buck (2004).

SUBFAMILY NYSSONINAE Latreille, 1804

Genus Epinysson Pate, 1935

E. bellus (Cresson, 1882)

CAN

–

PMAE; RSKM

E. mellipes (Cresson, 1882) ¹

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; SK-RSKM

E. metathoracicus (H. Smith, 1908)

CAN

–

PMAE

E. moestus (Cresson, 1882)

CAN

–

E. pacificus (Rohwer, 1917)

CAN

–

SMDV

E. tramosericus (Viereck, 1904)

CAN

–

E. tuberculatus (Handlirsch, 1887)

CAN

–

DEBU

● ¹ BC-Krombein 1979: likely in error (locality and depository unknown).

Genus Hyponysson Cresson, 1882

Revision – Pate 1938.

H. bicolor Cresson, 1882

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; SK-RSKM; MB-CMNC

Genus Nysson Latreille, 1802 ¹

N. aequalis Patton, 1879

CAN

–

DEBU

N. chumash Pate, 1940

CAN

–

N. daeckei Viereck, 1904

CAN

–

NT-UASM; AB-PMAE

N. fidelis Cresson, 1882

CAN

–

NT-UASM; MB-WRME

N. freyigessneri Handlirsch, 1887, sp. restit. ²

CAN

–

PMAE

N. gagates Bradley, 1920

CAN

–

AK-UAM; QC-LEMQ

N. hesperus R. Bohart, 1968

CAN

–

MB-WRME; ON-DEBU

N. lateralis Packard, 1867

CAN

–

NT-UASM; BC-iNat 2021h; AB-PMAE; SK-RSKM; PE-iNat 2023c

N. neorusticus R. Bohart, 1968

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

N. plagiatus Cresson, 1882

CAN

–

BC-SMDV; AB-PMAE; SK-CMNC; QC-LEMQ

N. recticornis Bradley, 1920

CAN

–

BC-RBCM; AB,SK-PMAE

N. rufiventris Cresson, 1882

CAN

–

SK-PMAE

N. rusticus Cresson, 1882 ³

CAN

–

N. simplicicornis Fox, 1896

CAN

–

DEBU; PMAE

N. subtilis Fox, 1896 ⁴

CAN

–

QC-PMAE; NS-BEST

N. tristis Cresson, 1882

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

● ¹ Excluded species: N. trichrus (Mickel, 1916), QC-Krombein 1979, and subsequent authors, misidentifications of N. gagates (see Buck 2004). ● ² Reinstated from synonymy with N. aurinotus Say 1837, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. ● ³ Nominate subspecies. AB-Strickland 1947: misidentification of N. gagates. ● ⁴ NT-Steiner 1973: misidentifications of N. daeckei and N. fidelis.

Genus Zanysson Rohwer, 1921

Key to North American species – Rohwer 1921.

Z. texanus (Cresson, 1873) ¹

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; MB-RSKM

● ¹ A complex of at least two species. Canadian specimens correspond to the nominate subspecies, but the validity of the subspecies have not been tested.

FAMILY CRABRONIDAE Latreille, 1802 ¹

● ¹ Excluded species of Bothynostethinae: Bothynostethus distinctus Fox, 1891, AB-Strickland 1947 (as B. " ? distinctus"), misidentification of Nysson gagates (Bembicidae).

SUBFAMILY CRABRONINAE Latreille, 1802

TRIBE ANACRABRONINI Ashmead, 1899

Genus Anacrabro Packard, 1866

Key to species – Leclercq 1996; emendations to key – Leclercq 2007a.

A. ocellatus Packard, 1866 ¹

CAN

–

MB-WRME

● ¹ Nominate subspecies.

Genus Entomognathus Dahlbom, 1844

Key to North and Central American species – Leclercq 2012; key to eastern U.S. species – Krombein 1963.

Subgenus Toncahua Pate, 1944

E. lenapeorum Viereck, 1904

CAN

–

DEBU; PMAE

E. memorialis Banks, 1921

CAN

–

TRIBE CRABRONINI Latreille, 1802

Genus Crabro Fabricius, 1775

Nearctic review – Bohart 1976; updates to the key by Bohart (1976) – Leclercq 2008; review of C. hilaris species group – Miller 1976.

C. advena F. Smith, 1835 ¹

CAN

–

C. argusinus R. Bohart, 1976

CAN

–

YT-RBCM; MB-WRME; NB-BugG 2013b

C. cingulatus (Packard, 1867)

CAN

–

C. cognatus Fox, 1895

CAN

–

ON-DEBU

C. conspicuus Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

C. cribrellifer (Packard, 1867)

CAN

–

C. denningi R. Bohart, 1976

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

C. dietrichi R. Bohart, 1976 ²

CAN

–

C. digitatus R. Bohart, 1976

CAN

–

QC-LEMQ

C. flavicrus R. Bohart, 1976

CAN

–

C. florissantensis Rohwer, 1909

CAN

–

AK-UAM

C. henrici Krombein, 1951

CAN

–

ON-BMEC

C. hispidus Fox, 1895 ³

CAN

–

PMAE

C. largior Fox, 1895 ⁴

CAN

–

RBCM

C. latipes F. Smith, 1856

CAN

–

C. leopardus R. Bohart, 1976

CAN

–

RBCM

C. maeklini Morawitz, 1866 ⁵ = C. canningsi Finnamore, 1988, syn. nov.

CAN

–

AK-UAM; YT-SMDV; NU-BOLD 2024a

C. monticola (Packard, 1867)

CAN

–

Elliot and Kurczewski 1973; AB,NS-PMAE; MB-WRME

C. nigriceps R. Bohart, 1976

CAN

–

YT-SMDV; NT-UASM; BC,AB,SK-PMAE; MB-NOFC; ON,QC-DEBU

C. nigrostriatus R. Bohart, 1976

CAN

–

YT-PMAE

C. pallidus Fox, 1895 ⁶

CAN

–

AK-UAM; BC-SMDV; AB-PMAE

C. pleuralis Fox, 1895

CAN

–

YT-RBCM; Krombein 1951

C. snowii Fox, 1896

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; ON-DEBU

C. tenuiglossa (Packard, 1866)

CAN

–

C. tenuis Fox, 1895 ⁷

CAN

–

QC-DEBU

C. velitaris R. Bohart, 1976 ⁸

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; SK-BMEC

C. vernalis (Packard, 1867)

CAN

–

ON-DEBU; NF-NOFC

C. virgatus Fox, 1895 ⁹

CAN

–

BC-SMDV

● ¹ YT-Finnamore 1988, 1997: misidentification of C. latipes. ● ² SK,MB-Bohart 1976: misidentifications of C. denningi (paratypes examined, CNC), see Results and discussion: Endemism. ● ³ See Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. YT-Finnamore 1988, 1997: misidentification of C. nigrostriatus; BC-Bohart 1976: misidentification of C. florissantensis (CNC, BMEC); AB-Bohart 1976: likely in error (depository unknown). ● ⁴ YT-Finnamore 1988, 1997: misidentifications of C. monticola and C. pleuralis; AB-Finnamore 1997: misidentification of C. virgatus (CNC); AB-Bohart 1976: likely in error (no specimens at CNC or BMEC). ● ⁵ See Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. ● ⁶ AB-Finnamore and Buckle 1999: misidentifications of C. denningi and C. tenuis. ● ⁷ BC-Ratzlaff 2016, AB-Carter 1925, AB-Strickland 1947: misidentifications of C. flavicrus. ● ⁸ YT-Finnamore 1988, 1997: misidentification of C. nigriceps; SK-Bohart 1976: depository is BMEC, not CNC. ● ⁹ ON-Bohart 1976: misidentification of C. henrici (BMEC).

Genus Crossocerus Lepeletier & Brullé, 1835

New World revision – Leclercq 2000.

Subgenus Ablepharipus Perkins, 1913

C. unicus (Patton, 1879)

CAN

–

Krombein 1979; DEBU; LEMQ

Subgenus Blepharipus Lepeletier & Brullé, 1835

C. annulipes (Lepeletier & Brullé, 1935) ^{§ 1}

CAN

–

MB-WRME; PE-PMAE; NS-iNat 2022d

C. barbipes (Dahlbom, 1845) ²

CAN

–

AK-UAM; MB-NOFC; NB-iNat 2019b; NF-PMAE

C. capitosus (Shuckard, 1837) ^§

CAN

–

BIOUG

C. harringtonii (Fox, 1895)

CAN

–

AK,NB-PMAE; Leclercq 2000

C. impressifrons (F. Smith, 1856) ³

CAN

–

QC-LEMQ; NB-iNat 2023d

C. leucostoma (Linnaeus, 1758)

CAN

–

Krombein 1979; SK-NOFC; NF-PMAE

C. maculipennis (F. Smith, 1856)

CAN

–

AK-UAM; YT-iNat 2021b; SK-RSKM; NS-BOLD 2013a; NF-PMAE

C. nigritus (Lepeletier & Brullé, 1834)

CAN

–

MB-WRME; PE-PMAE

C. nitidiventris (Fox, 1892)

CAN

–

NB-iNat 2020c

C. stictochilos Pate, 1944

CAN

–

C. stricklandi Pate, 1944

CAN

–

C. tarsalis (Fox, 1895)

CAN

–

AB,MB-PMAE; Finnamore 1982

● ¹ Nominate subspecies. ● ² Holarctic species status questionable. The correct name for this species is likely Crossocerus wickhamii (Ashmead, 1899), see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. ● ³ AB-Finnamore 1994: misidentification of C. leucostoma.

Subgenus Crossocerus Lepeletier & Brullé, 1835 ¹

C. elongatulus (Vander Linden, 1829) ²

CAN

–

Leclercq 2000; BC-SMDV; AB-PMAE; SK-RSKM; Krombein 1979

C. foxi Leclercq & Miller, 2000

CAN

–

PMAE

C. lentus (Fox, 1895)

CAN

–

Leclercq 2000; NF-NOFC

C. lundbladi Kjellander, 1954

CAN

–

BIOUG

C. maculiclypeus (Fox, 1895)

CAN

–

NF-NOFC

C. minimus (Packard, 1867) ³ = C. eriogoni (Rohwer, 1908), syn. nov.

CAN

–

YT-RBCM; SK-PMAE; MB-WRME; Krombein 1979

C. planifemur Krombein, 1952

CAN

–

C. pseudochromatipus Leclercq & Miller, 2000

CAN

–

AB-UASM

C. similis (Fox, 1895)

CAN

–

C. tarsatus (Shuckard, 1837) ⁴

CAN

–

MB-WRME; NF-NOFC

C. wesmaeli (Vander Linden, 1829)

CAN

–

AK-UAM; YT-RBCM

● ¹ Excluded species: C. chromatipus Pate, 1944, BC-Ratzlaff 2016, misidentification of C. lentus. ● ² Nominate subspecies. ● ³ See Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. YT-Finnamore 1997: misidentifications of C. pseudochromatipus and C. maculiclypeus. Correctly recorded from YT by Leclercq (2000). ● ⁴ C. t. planipes (Fox, 1895).

Subgenus Cuphopterus Morawitz, 1866

C. binotatus Lepeletier & Brullé, 1835 ^§

CAN

–

BugG 2018

Subgenus Hoplocrabro Thomson, 1874

C. angelicus (Kincaid, 1900) ¹

CAN

–

SK-PMAE; MB-WRME

● ¹ YT-Finnamore 1997: misidentification of C. maculiclypeus.

Genus Ectemnius Dahlbom, 1845

Key to species in America north of Mexico – Bohart and Kimsey 1979; updates to the key by Bohart and Kimsey (1979) – Leclercq 2007b.

Subgenus Clytochrysus Morawitz, 1864

E. lapidarius (Panzer, 1803)

CAN

–

E. ruficornis (Zetterstedt, 1838) ¹

CAN

–

LB-NOFC

● ¹ Nominate subspecies.

Subgenus Ectemnius Dahlbom, 1845

E. atriceps (Cresson, 1865) ¹

CAN

–

NB-BIOUG; Leclercq 2007b

E. borealis (Zetterstedt, 1838)

CAN

–

E. dives (Lepeletier & Brullé, 1835)

CAN

–

PE-PMAE; NF-NOFC

● ¹ AK-Krombein 1979 (as E. corrugatus (Packard, 1866)): misidentification of E. borealis (UAM).

Subgenus Hypocrabro Ashmead, 1899 ¹

E. arcuatus (Say, 1837)

CAN

–

E. continuus (Fabricius, 1804) ²

CAN

–

E. decemmaculatus (Say, 1823) ³

CAN

–

DEBU

E. paucimaculatus (Packard, 1866)

CAN

–

DEBU

E. scaber (Lepeletier & Brullé, 1835) ²

CAN

–

DEBU

E. spiniferus (Fox, 1895)

CAN

–

SK-PMAE

E. stirpicola (Packard, 1866)

CAN

–

AB,PE-PMAE; MB-WRME; NS-iNat 2020e

E. trifasciatus (Say, 1824)

CAN

–

AK-UAM; YT-RBCM; NB-iNat 2019e

● ¹ Excluded species: E. alpheus Pate, 1946, BC-Ratzlaff 2016, misidentification of E. arcuatus. ● ² Nominate subspecies. ● ³ AB-Carter 1925 (as “Solenius chrysarginus” [sic!] (Lepeletier & Brullé, 1835)): misidentifications of E. arcuatus and E. trifasciatus.

Subgenus Metacrabro Ashmead, 1899

E. cephalotes (Olivier, 1792) ^§1

CAN

–

AK-UAM; BC-SMDV; AB,MB,PE-PMAE; NB-iNat 2019c; NS-iNat 2021c; NF-iNat 2019d

E. maculosus (Gmelin, 1790)

CAN

–

NT-iNat 2022e; SK-RSKM

● ¹ MB-Wrigley 2019.

Subgenus Protothyreopus Ashmead, 1899

E. dilectus (Cresson, 1865)

CAN

–

ON-DEBU; QC-PMAE

E. rufifemur (Packard, 1866) ¹

CAN

–

● ¹ Nominate subspecies.

Genus Lestica Billberg, 1820

Key to New World species – Leclercq 2006.

Subgenus Solenius Lepeletier & Brullé, 1835

L. confluenta (Say, 1837)

CAN

–

MB-NOFC

L. producticollis (Packard, 1866)

CAN

–

NT-UASM

Genus Lindenius Lepeletier & Brullé, 1834

Key to North American species – Fox 1895.

L. armaticeps (Fox, 1895)

CAN

–

AB,SK,QC,NB-PMAE; MB-WRME

L. columbianus (Kohl, 1892)

CAN

–

BC,AB-PMAE

L. errans (Fox, 1895), sp. restit. ¹

CAN

–

AB,SK-PMAE; QC-LEMQ

L. montezuma (Cameron, 1891)

CAN

–

PMAE

● ¹ Reinstated from synonymy with L. columbianus, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes.

Genus Rhopalum Stephens, 1829

New World revision – Leclercq 2002; review of species in America north of Mexico – Bohart 1974.

Subgenus Corynopus Lepeletier & Brullé, 1835

R. coarctatum (Scopoli, 1763)

CAN

–

AK-UAM; SK-RSKM; NB-BugG 2014b; NS-PMAE

R. gracile Wesmael, 1852 ^§

CAN

–

Ratzlaff et al. 2016

R. occidentale (Fox, 1895)

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

R. pedicellatum Packard, 1867

CAN

–

R. rufigaster Packard, 1867

CAN

–

Subgenus Rhopalum Stephens, 1829

R. clavipes (Linnaeus, 1758) ¹

CAN

–

AK-UAM; YT-BOLD 2024b; SK-RSKM; NB-BOLD 2014a; PE-BOLD 2014b

● ¹ MB-Wrigley 2019.

SUBFAMILY LARRINAE Latreille, 1810

TRIBE GASTROSERICINI André, 1886

Genus Larropsis Patton, 1892

Subgenus Ancistromma Fox, 1893

Nearctic revision – Bohart and Bohart 1962.

L. aurantia (Fox, 1891)

CAN

–

SK-PMAE

L. capax (Fox, 1894)

CAN

–

MB-RSKM

L. corrugata G. Bohart & R. Bohart, 1962

CAN

–

L. distincta (F. Smith, 1856)

CAN

–

NB-iNat 2019f; NS-iNat 2021d

Subgenus Larropsis Patton, 1892

Revision – Bohart and Bohart 1966.

L. tenuicornis (F. Smith, 1856)

CAN

–

RBCM

Genus Tachysphex Kohl, 1883 ¹

North American revision including Central American and Caribbean species – Pulawski 1988.

T. acutus (Patton, 1880)

CAN

–

AB,NB-PMAE; SK-WRME; QC-LEMQ

T. aequalis Fox, 1894

CAN

–

T. aethiops (Cameron, 1865)

CAN

–

AK-UAM; YT-RBCM; MB-WRME; QC-LEMQ

T. alpestris Rohwer, 1908

CAN

–

Pulawski 1988; YT-SMDV; NT-UASM

T. amplus Fox, 1894 ²

CAN

–

PMAE

T. antennatus Fox, 1894

CAN

–

T. apicalis Fox, 1893

CAN

–

SK-PMAE; ON-DEBU

T. ashmeadii Fox, 1894

CAN

–

BC-RBCM; SK-CMNC

T. clarconis Viereck, 1906 ³

CAN

–

SK-UASM

T. crassiformis Viereck, 1906

CAN

–

PMAE

T. eldoradensis Rohwer, 1917

CAN

–

T. hopi Pulawski, 1988

CAN

–

BC-RBCM; AB-PMAE

T. huchiti Pulawski, 1988

CAN

–

PMAE; RSKM

T. linsleyi R. Bohart, 1962

CAN

–

PMAE

T. montanus (Cresson, 1865)

CAN

–

Pulawski 1988; AB,SK-PMAE

T. mundus Fox, 1894

CAN

–

BC-RBCM

T. orestes Pulawski, 1988

CAN

–

Pulawski 1988

T. paiute Pulawski, 1988

CAN

–

PMAE

T. pauxillus Fox, 1894

CAN

–

T. pechumani Krombein, 1938

CAN

–

T. pompiliformis (Panzer, 1804)

CAN

–

NB-PMAE; NF-NOFC

T. psammobius (Kohl, 1880)

CAN

–

AB,SK-PMAE; MB-CMNC

T. punctifrons (Fox, 1891) ⁴

CAN

–

SK-PMAE

T. scopaeus Pulawski, 1988

CAN

–

AB,SK-PMAE

T. semirufus (Cresson, 1865)

CAN

–

AB,QC-PMAE; MB-WRME

T. similis Rohwer, 1910

CAN

–

NT-UASM; Scudder 1994

T. sonorensis (Cameron, 1889)

CAN

–

AB,SK-PMAE

T. tarsatus (Say, 1823)

CAN

–

T. terminatus (F. Smith, 1856) ⁵

CAN

–

NB-BugG 2013c

T. texanus (Cresson, 1873)

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; SK-RSKM

T. williamsi R. Bohart, 1962 ⁶

CAN

–

BC-RBCM

● ¹ Excluded species: T. verticalis Pulawski, 1982, BC-Ratzlaff 2016, misidentification of T. pompiliformis; T. hurdi R. Bohart, 1962, AB-Finnamore and Buckle 1999, misidentification of T. psammobius. ● ² BC-Ratzlaff 2016: misidentification of T. tarsatus. ● ³ Expected in AB. SK record 1 km E of AB border. ● ⁴ ON-Buck et al. 2006: misidentification of T. acutus. ● ⁵ NT-Steiner 1973: misidentifications of T. alpestris and T. similis; SK-Krombein 1979: likely misidentifications of T. alpestris. ● ⁶ BC-Ratzlaff 2016: misidentification of T. pompiliformis.

Genus Tachytes Panzer, 1806

Key to species in America north of Mexico – Bohart 1994a.

T. aurulentus (Fabricius, 1804)

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; SK-RSKM; MB-WRME

T. crassus Patton, 1880

CAN

–

T. distinctus F. Smith, 1856 ¹

CAN

–

T. fulviventris Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

T. harpax Patton, 1880

CAN

–

DEBU; RSKM; PMAE

T. intermedius (Viereck, 1906)

CAN

–

DEBU

T. mergus Fox, 1892

CAN

–

PMAE

T. nevadensis R. Bohart, 1962

CAN

–

RBCM

T. obductus Fox, 1892

CAN

–

PMAE

T. pennsylvanicus Banks, 1921

CAN

–

SK-RSKM; MB-WRME; QC-LEMQ

T. pepticus (Say, 1937) ²

CAN

–

PMAE

T. sayi Banks, 1942

CAN

–

BC-RSKM; AB,SK-PMAE

T. validus Cresson, 1873

CAN

–

● ¹ Nominate subspecies. ● ² AB-Carter 1925, AB-Strickland 1947: misidentifications of T. pennsylvanicus.

TRIBE LARRINI Latreille, 1810

Genus Larra Fabricius, 1793

New World revision – Menke 1992.

L. analis Fabricius, 1804

CAN

–

DEBU

Genus Liris Fabricius, 1804

North American revision – Krombein and Shanks Gingras 1984.

Subgenus Leptolarra Cameron, 1900

L. argentatus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1811)

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

L. beatus (Cameron, 1889)

CAN

–

DEBU

SUBFAMILY MISCOPHINAE Fox, 1894

Genus Lyroda Say, 1837 ¹

Key to North American species – Fox 1894a.

L. subita Say, 1837

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

● ¹ Excluded species: Lyroda triloba (Say, 1837), CAN-Cresson 1887 and subsequent authors, likely misidentification(s) of L. subita (locality and depository unknown).

Genus Miscophus Jurine, 1807

New World revision – Slansky Wasbauer 1978.

Subgenus Miscophus Jurine, 1807

M. americanus Fox, 1890

CAN

–

NT-UASM; SK-PMAE; MB-WRME

M. ater Lepeletier, 1845 ^§

CAN

–

DEBU

Subgenus Nitelopterus Ashmead, 1897 ¹

M. arenarum Cockerell, 1898

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

M. californicus (Ashmead, 1898)

CAN

–

SK-CMNC

M. cyanurus (Rohwer, 1909)

CAN

–

SMDV

● ¹ Excluded species: M. evansi (Krombein, 1963), BC-Scudder 1994, and BC-Ratzlaff 2016, misidentifications of M. cyanurus.

Genus Nitela Latreille, 1809

Key to Nearctic species – Pate 1937.

N. cerasicola Pate, 1937

CAN

–

DEBU; PMAE

N. virginensis Rohwer, 1923 ¹

CAN

–

● ¹ Misspelled “virginiensis” by many subsequent authors, e.g., Krombein (1979).

Genus Plenoculus Fox, 1893

Revision – Williams 1960.

P. davisi Fox, 1893 ¹

CAN

–

AK-SUNY; SK-RSKM; QC-LEMQ

P. propinquus Fox, 1894

CAN

–

MB-WRME

● ¹ P. d. davisi AK to ON, P. d. atlanticus Viereck, 1902 in QC (according to Finnamore 1982). The validity and distribution of subspecies was not examined. AB-Strickland 1947 (as P. “nr. davisii”): misidentification of Solierella nigrans.

Genus Solierella Spinola, 1851 ¹

California revision – Williams 1950 (includes all described Canadian species except S. cingulis and S. mammillata); key to S. inermis-group – Bohart 1991.

S. affinis (Rohwer, 1909)

CAN

–

BC,AB-PMAE

S. albipes (Ashmead, 1899)

CAN

–

SMDV; PMAE

S. arcuata Williams, 1950

CAN

–

S. blaisdelli (Bridwell, 1920)

CAN

–

AK-UAM; BC,AB-PMAE

S. cingulis R. Bohart, 1991

CAN

–

AB,SK-PMAE

S. inermis (Cresson, 1873)

CAN

–

AB,SK-PMAE

S. levis Williams, 1950

CAN

–

AB,SK-PMAE; ON-DEBU

S. mammillata Buck, nom. nov.

CAN

–

PMAE; CMNC

= S. foxii (Viereck, 1906) (preocc.) ²

S. nigrans Krombein, 1951

CAN

–

BC-RBCM; AB,SK-PMAE

S. peckhami (Ashmead, 1897)

CAN

–

BC,AB,SK-PMAE; MB-CMNC

S. plenoculoides (Fox, 1893) ³

CAN

–

BC,AB,SK-PMAE; MB-NOFC

S. sayi (Rohwer, 1909)

CAN

–

SMDV

S. vierecki (Rohwer, 1909)

CAN

–

AB,SK-PMAE

● ¹ Excluded species: S. foxii (Viereck, 1902), AB-Strickland 1947, misidentification of an undescribed species; S. fossor (Rohwer, 1906), AB,SK-Onuferko et al. 2023: misidentification of an undescribed species. Species group record: S. inermis-group, BC-Ratzlaff 2016, species cannot be identified, known from female only (RBCM, examined). ● ² Preoccupied by Plenoculus foxii Viereck, 1902; removed from synonymy with S. fossor (Rohwer, 1909), see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. ● ³ S. p. plenoculoides NB to AB, S. p. similis (Bridwell, 1920) in BC.

SUBFAMILY OXYBELINAE Leach, 1815

Genus Belomicrus Costa, 1867

North American review – Bohart 1994b.

B. forbesii (Robertson, 1889) = B. columbianus (Kohl, 1892) ¹

CAN

–

MB-PMAE

● ¹ Synonymy confirmed, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes.

Genus Oxybelus Latreille, 1796 ¹

Key to species in America and northern Mexico – Bohart and Schlinger 1957.

O. abdominalis Baker, 1896

CAN

–

O. bipunctatus Olivier, 1812 ^{§ 2}

CAN

–

MB-WRME; NS-RSKM

O. cressonii Robertson, 1889

CAN

–

DEBU

O. decorosus (Mickel, 1916)

CAN

–

WRME; DEBU

O. emarginatus Say, 1837 ³

CAN

–

O. inornatus (Robertson, 1901)

CAN

–

DEBU

O. laetus Say, 1837 ²

CAN

–

DEBU

O. niger Robertson, 1889

CAN

–

O. pacificus (Rohwer, 1909), sp. restit. ⁴

CAN

–

O. robertsonii Baker, 1896

CAN

–

PMAE; CMNC

O. sericeus Robertson, 1889

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

O. similis Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

PMAE

O. subcornutus Cockerell, 1895

CAN

–

PMAE; DEBU

O. subulatus Robertson, 1889 ⁵

CAN

–

BC-SMDV; SK-PMAE; MB-WRME; QC-LEMQ

O. uniglumis (Linnaeus, 1758)

CAN

–

NB,PE-PMAE

O. ventralis Fox, 1894 ⁵

CAN

–

● ¹ Excluded species: O. parvus Cresson, 1865 (as O. coloradensis Baker, 1896), AB-Strickland 1947, misidentification of O. pacificus. ● ² Nominate subspecies. ● ³ BC-Bohart and Schlinger 1957 and subsequent authors: misidentifications of O. pacificus; AB,SK-Bohart and Schlinger 1957 and subsequent authors: probably referring in part to O. pacificus, see note under the latter. ● ⁴ Reinstated from synonymy with O. emarginatus, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. ● ⁵ O. subulatus intergrades with O. ventralis in SK, AB and BC; further study is needed.

SUBFAMILY TRYPOXYLINAE Lepeletier, 1845

Genus Pison Jurine, 1808

New World revision – Menke 1988; review of P. agile-group – Antropov 1994.

P. koreense (Radoszkowski, 1887) ^§

CAN

–

DEBU

Genus Pisonopsis Fox, 1893

Key to species – Menke 1988; North American revision – Williams 1954.

P. birkmanni Rohwer, 1909

CAN

–

SMDV

P. clypeata Fox, 1893

CAN

–

SMDV; PMAE

P. triangularis Ashmead, 1899

CAN

–

AB,SK–PMAE

Genus Trypoxylon Latreille, 1796

Nearctic review – Sandhouse 1940.

Subgenus Trypargilum Richards, 1934

North American revision – Coville 1982.

T. clavatum Say, 1837 ¹

CAN

–

T. collinum F. Smith, 1856 ²

CAN

–

QC–PMAE

T. lactitarse de Saussure, 1867

CAN

–

QC–iNat 2021e

T. politum Say, 1837

CAN

–

QC–iNat 2022f

T. tridentatum Packard, 1867 ¹

CAN

–

● ¹ Nominate subspecies. ● ² T. c. rubrocinctum Packard, 1867.

Subgenus Trypoxylon Latreille, 1796

Key to Nearctic species of the T. figulus-group – Antropov 2003.

T. attenuatum F. Smith, 1851 ^§

CAN

–

BC,QC-PMAE

T. bidentatum Fox, 1891 ¹

CAN

–

T. carinatum Say, 1837

CAN

–

QC-IMQC

T. clarkei Krombein, 1962

CAN

–

T. clavicerum Lepeletier & Serville, 1828 ^{§ 2}

CAN

–

BC,QC-PMAE

T. fastigium Fox, 1894

CAN

–

PMAE

T. figulus (Linnaeus, 1758) ^{§ 3}

CAN

–

QC-DEBU

T. frigidum F. Smith, 1856 ³

CAN

–

AK,NS-PMAE

T. johnsoni Fox, 1891

CAN

–

T. kolazyi Kohl, 1893 ^§

CAN

–

T. pennsylvanicum de Saussure, 1867 ⁴

CAN

–

NB-LEMQ

T. richardsi Sandhouse, 1940

CAN

–

● ¹ ON-Buck 2004: occurrence status uncertain, based on a single specimen, possibly adventitious. ● ² Including T. kostylevi Antropov, 1985, a suspected synonym; see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. ● ³ Nominate subspecies. ● ⁴ Including T. sculleni Sandhouse, 1940, a probable synonym: BC-Sandhouse 1940, AB-Finnamore 1994, ON-Buck 2004 (fide Antropov in litt.); see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes.

FAMILY MELLINIDAE Latreille, 1802

Genus Mellinus Fabricius, 1790

Review – Siri and Bohart 1974.

M. abdominalis Cresson, 1882

CAN

–

MB-PMAE; ON-DEBU

M. bimaculatus Packard, 1867

CAN

–

FAMILY PEMPHREDONIDAE Dahlbom, 1835

SUBFAMILY PEMPHREDONINAE Dahlbom, 1835

Genus Diodontus Curtis, 1834 ¹

Revision of species in America north of Mexico – Eighme 1989.

D. adamsi Titus, 1909

CAN

–

SK-DEBU; QC-LEMQ

D. americanus Packard, 1867 ² = D. gillettei Fox, 1892, syn. nov. = D. rugosus Fox, 1892, syn. nov.

CAN

–

NS-LEMQ

= D. florissantensis Rohwer, 1909, syn. rev.

= D. bidentatus Rohwer, 1911, syn. nov.

= D. siouxensis (Mickel, 1916), syn. nov.

= D. striatus (Mickel, 1916), syn. nov.

D. argentinae Rohwer, 1909

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

D. boharti Eighme, 1983

CAN

–

D. crassicornus Viereck, 1904

CAN

–

PMAE

D. flavitarsis Fox, 1892 ³

CAN

–

D. fraternus Rohwer, 1909 ⁴

CAN

–

BC-RSKM

D. leguminiferus Cockerell, 1897 ⁵

CAN

–

SMDV; PMAE

D. metathoracicus (Mickel, 1916) ⁶

CAN

–

PMAE

D. minutus (Fabricius, 1793) ^§

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; SK-RSKM; MB-WRME

D. neomexicanus Rohwer, 1909 ⁷

CAN

–

BC-SMDV; AB,SK-PMAE

D. nigritus Fox, 1892, sp. restit. ⁸

CAN

–

AK-UAM; YT-SMDV; NT-UASM; MB-WRME

= D. vallicolae Rohwer, 1909, syn. nov.

= D. vallicolae salicis Rohwer, 1909, syn. rev.

= D. ater (Mickel, 1916), syn. rev.

= D. maestus (Mickel, 1916), syn. rev.

D. spiniferus (Mickel, 1916) ⁹

CAN

–

D. virginianus (Rohwer, 1917) ¹⁰

CAN

–

QC-LEMQ

● ¹ The concepts of six species have been revised, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. Excluded species: D. occidentalis, YT-Ratzlaff 2018, misidentifications of D. americanus and an undescribed species; BC-Ratzlaff 2016, misidentification of D. neomexicanus; AB-Finnamore 1994, misidentifications of D. americanus; AB-Finnamore and Buckle 1999, misidentification of an undescribed species. ● ² Previously recorded from Canada/Alaska as D. bidentatus and D. siouxensis, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. BC-Blades and Maier 1996 and BC-Ratzlaff 2016 (as D. striatus): misidentifications of an undescribed species. YT-Finnamore 1997 (as D. “rugulosus”, misspelling): misidentifications of D. spiniferus and an undescribed species; AB-Strickland 1947 (as D. florissantensis): misidentification of an undescribed species. AB-Finnamore and Buckle 1999 (as D. bidentatus): most are misidentifications of an undescribed species. ● ³ Species concept revised, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. YT-Finnamore 1997: misidentifications of D. argentinae and D. adamsi. BC-Ratzlaff 2016: misidentifications of D. nigritus and D. adamsi. ON-Buck 2004: misidentifications of D. nigritus (males) and an undescribed species (females). ● ⁴ Species concept revised, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. BC-Ratzlaff 2016: misidentifications of D. neomexicanus and an undescribed species. AB-Finnamore and Buckle 1999: misidentification of an undescribed species. ● ⁵ Species concept revised, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. BC-Scudder (1994) and subsequent authors: misidentification of a probably undescribed species near D. metathoracicus; YT-Ratzlaff 2018: misidentification of an undescribed species. ● ⁶ Part of a species complex, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. Two similar, undescribed species occur in BC, AB, SK. ● ⁷ Species concept revised, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. AB-Finnamore and Buckle 1999: misidentification of an undescribed species. ● ⁸ Reinstated from synonymy with D. flavitarsis and species concept revised, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. ON specimens are atypical and might be referable to a different species. ● ⁹ Eighme (1989) as D. spinifer: unjustified emendation. ● ¹⁰ Species concept revised, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. BC-Ratzlaff 2016: misidentification of D. leguminiferus.

Genus Passaloecus Shuckard, 1837

Revision of species in America north of Mexico – Vincent 1979. ¹

P. annulatus (Say, 1837)

CAN

–

BC,NB,PE-PMAE; SK-RSKM

P. areolatus Vincent, 1979 ¹

CAN

–

QC-LEMQ; PE-PMAE

P. armeniacae Cockerell, 1897

CAN

–

PMAE

P. borealis Dahlbom, 1844

CAN

–

AK-UAM; YT,BC-PMAE; MB,NF-NOFC; ON-DEBU

P. cuspidatus F. Smith, 1856

CAN

–

P. eremita Kohl, 1893 ^§

CAN

–

BOLD 2011; PMAE

P. gracilis (Curtis, 1834) ^§

CAN

–

BC-SMDV; AB-PCYU; QC-PMAE

P. lineatus Vincent, 1979 ¹

CAN

–

P. melanocrus Rohwer, 1911

CAN

–

Vincent 1979

P. monilicornis Dahlbom, 1842 ²

CAN

–

MB,PE-PMAE; NS-RSKM

P. patagiatus Vincent, 1979 ¹

CAN

–

P. singularis Dahlbom, 1844 ^§

CAN

–

NB-LEMQ; NS-BOLD 2013b

● ¹ Actual publication date is 23 May 1979, not 1978 as printed (see Pulawski 2025). ● ² MB-Wrigley 2019.

Genus Pemphredon Latreille, 1796

World revision – Dollfuss 1995.

P. baltica Merisuo, 1972

CAN

–

AK-UAM; BC,AB-PMAE; ON-DEBU

P. bipartior Fox, 1892, sp. restit. ¹

CAN

–

QC-PMAE

P. confertim Fox, 1892 ²

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; SK-RSKM

P. foxii Rohwer, 1917

CAN

–

NT-BIOUG; AB,MB-PMAE

P. grinnelli (Rohwer, 1910)

CAN

–

P. inornata Say, 1824

CAN

–

PE-PMAE

P. lethifer (Shuckard, 1837) ^§

CAN

–

BC,AB-PMAE; Dollfuss 1995

P. lugubris (Fabricius, 1793) ³

CAN

–

NT,SK-RSKM; MB,NB-BIOUG; NS-PMAE; LB-NOFC

P. menkei R. Bohart, 1993

CAN

–

AK,NT,AB,NF-PMAE; SK,NS-BIOUG; MB-NOFC; Dollfuss 1995

P. montana Dahlbom, 1845 ³

CAN

–

SK-RSKM

P. morio vander Linden, 1829 ^§

CAN

–

DEBU; BIOUG

P. mortifer Valkeila, 1972 ^{§ 4}

CAN

–

QC-LEMQ

P. nearctica Kohl, 1890 ⁵

CAN

–

P. pulawskii Dollfuss, 1993

CAN

–

AB,ON-PMAE

P. rileyi Fox, 1892 ⁶

CAN

–

SMDV; PMAE

● ¹ Reinstated from synonymy with P. rugifer (Dahlbom, 1844), see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes and note 4. NT-Steiner 1973: misidentification of P. inornata. ● ² YT-Finnamore 1997: misidentifications of P. menkei and P. rileyi. ● ³ Holarctic species status questionable, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. ● ⁴ Incorrectly synonymized with P. rugifer (Dahlbom, 1844) by Dollfuss (1995), see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. ● ⁵ YT-Finnamore 1997: misidentifications of P. menkei. ● ⁶ AB-Carter 1925, AB-Strickland 1947: misidentification of P. montana.

SUBFAMILY SPILOMENINAE Menke, 1989

Genus Spilomena Shuckard, 1838

Key to species in America north of Mexico – Bohart and Smith 1995.

S. alboclypeata Bradley, 1906

CAN

–

AB,SK-PMAE; QC-LEMQ

S. ampliceps Krombein, 1952

CAN

–

S. barberi Krombein, 1952

CAN

–

QC-LEMQ

S. clypearis N. Smith, 1995

CAN

–

SMDV; PMAE

S. foxii Cockerell, 1897

CAN

–

S. occidentalis R. Bohart, 1995

CAN

–

BC,AB-PMAE

S. pusilla (Say, 1837)

CAN

–

S. troglodytes (vander Linden, 1829) ^§

CAN

–

ON-DEBU; QC-PMAE

SUBFAMILY STIGMINAE R. BOHART & Menke, 1976

Genus Stigmus Panzer, 1804

Key to North American species – Krombein 1973.

S. americanus Packard, 1867 ¹

CAN

–

YT-BOLD 2016b; NS-PMAE; NF-BOLD 2010a

S. fraternus Say, 1824 ¹

CAN

–

AB,NS-PMAE

S. fulvicornis Rohwer, 1923 ²

CAN

–

BC,ON-PMAE; QC-BOLD 2014c

S. fulvipes Fox, 1892

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

S. inordinatus Fox, 1892 ³

CAN

–

ON-PMAE

● ¹ S. americanus and S. fraternus are part of a cryptic species complex with unclear species boundaries, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. ● ² QC-BOLD 2014c based on matching DNA barcode. ● ³ S. i. inordinatus in BC, S. i. universitatis Rohwer, 1909, in ON.

FAMILY PHILANTHIDAE Latreille, 1802

SUBFAMILY APHILANTHOPINAE R. BOHART, 1966

Key to Nearctic genera and species - Bohart and Grissell 1975.

Genus Aphilanthops Patton, 1881

A. frigidus (F. Smith, 1856)

CAN

–

A. subfrigidus Dunning, 1898

CAN

–

Genus Clypeadon Patton, 1897

C. laticinctus (Cresson, 1865)

CAN

–

SUBFAMILY CERCERINAE Lepeletier, 1845

Genus Cerceris Latreille, 1802 ¹

Synonymic list of North American and Caribbean species – Ferguson 1984b ²; review of species in America north of Mexico – Scullen 1965; key to eastern Canadian species – Buck et al. 2006.

C. aequalis Provancher, 1888

CAN

–

C. arelate Banks, 1912

CAN

–

NB-PMAE; NS-iNat 2023e

C. astarte Banks, 1913

CAN

–

C. atramontensis Banks, 1913

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; NB-BugG 2013d; PE-iNat 2021f; NS-iNat 2023f

C. bicornuta Guérin-Méneville, 1844

CAN

–

DEBU

C. californica Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; SK-RSKM

C. calochorti Rohwer, 1908

CAN

–

BC-RBCM; AB,SK-PMAE

C. clypeata Dahlbom, 1844 ³

CAN

–

QC-iNat 2020f

C. cockerelli Viereck, 1903 ⁴

CAN

–

AB,SK-PMAE

C. compacta Cresson, 1865 ⁵

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

C. compar Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

PMAE

C. conifrons Mickel, 1916

CAN

–

MB-WRME

C. convergens Viereck & Cockerell, 1904

CAN

–

C. crucis Viereck & Cockerell, 1904 ⁶

CAN

–

SK-RSKM

C. dentifrons Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

MB-WRME; QC-LEMQ

C. deserta Say, 1824

CAN

–

Scullen 1965

C. echo Mickel, 1916

CAN

–

SK-RSKM; MB-WRME

C. finitima Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

BC,SK-RSKM; ON-DEBU

C. fumipennis Say, 1837 ⁷

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; SK-RSKM; MB-PMAE; QC-iNat 2020g; NB-iNat 2022g

C. halone Banks, 1912 ⁸

CAN

–

QC-PMAE

C. insolita Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

DEBU; iNat 2024g

C. jucunda Cresson, 1873

CAN

–

RSKM

C. kennicottii Cresson, 1865 ⁹

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; SK-RSKM

C. nigrescens F. Smith, 1856

CAN

–

C. nitidoides Ferguson, 1984 ¹⁰

CAN

–

Finnamore 1982

C. occipitomaculata Packard, 1866 ¹¹

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

C. prominens Banks, 1912 ¹²

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

C. rufopicta F. Smith, 1856

CAN

–

MB-GJHC

C. sexta Say, 1837 ¹³

CAN

–

C. sextoides Banks, 1947 ¹⁴

CAN

–

C. vanduzeei Banks, 1917

CAN

–

C. wyomingensis Scullen, 1965

CAN

–

● ¹ Doubtful records: C. gnarina Banks, 1913, AB-Scullen 1965, locality and depository unknown; “sc. Canada”-Ferguson 1984b, misidentification of C. prominens (MB: 2 spms., WRME, examined); C. nebrascensis H. Smith, 1908: a single male from Elbow, SK (CNC) identified by G.R. Ferguson, not distinguishable with certainty from C. wyomingensis. ● ² A critical article that untangles nomenclatural confusion of earlier works. ● ³ AB-Strickland 1947: misidentification of C. nigrescens. ● ⁴ BC-Scullen 1965: recorded as C. acanthophila auctt., nec Cockerell, 1897; see Ferguson (1983b). ● ⁵ ON: occurrence status uncertain, based on a single specimen from 1934 (Buck 2004). ● ⁶ BC-Blades and Maier 1996: misidentification of C. californica; BC-Krombein (1979) (as C. rufinoda auctt., nec Cresson, 1865; see Ferguson 1984b): doubtful. ● ⁷ BC-Scullen 1965: doubtful (depository unknown); BC-Kimoto and Buck 2014: misidentification of C. californica. ● ⁸ QC-Jobin and Perron 2008. ● ⁹ Nominate subspecies. ● ¹⁰ QC-Finnamore 1982: recorded as C. melanthe auctt., nec Banks, 1947; see Ferguson (1984b). ● ¹¹ AB-Carter 1925: misidentification of C. deserta; “se. Canada”-Ferguson 1984b: likely in error; ON-Buck 2004: misidentification of C. nigrescens, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. ● ¹² ON-Buck 2004 and Buck et al. 2006: misidentifications, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. ● ¹³ BC-Scullen 1965 (as C. stigmosalis auctt., nec Banks, 1916), and subsequently BC-Ratzlaff 2016: misidentification of C. sextoides. ● ¹⁴ BC-Scullen 1965: recorded as C. tepaneca auctt., nec de Saussure, 1867; see Bohart and Grissell 1975.

Genus Eucerceris Cresson, 1865 ¹

Revision – Scullen 1968.

E. cressoni (Schletterer, 1887)

CAN

–

SK-RSKM

E. flavocincta Cresson, 1865 ²

CAN

–

MB-MMMN

E. montana Cresson, 1882

CAN

–

PMAE

E. superba Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

E. vittatifrons Cresson, 1879

CAN

–

SMDV

E. zonata (Say, 1823) ³

CAN

–

MB-WRME; QC-iNat 2023g

● ¹ Excluded species: E. rubripes Cresson, 1879, AB-Scullen 1968, misidentification of C. cressoni (UASM). ● ² ON-Buck 2004: doubtful, locality uncertain. ● ³ ON: occurrence status unclear, possibly extirpated (see Leclerc et al. in press).

SUBFAMILY PHILANTHINAE Latreille, 1802

Genus Philanthus Fabricius, 1790

Key to Nearctic species – Bohart and Grissell 1975; key to P. politus-group – Ferguson 1983a; key to P. zebratus-group – Ferguson 1984a.

P. albopilosus Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

P. bilunatus Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

BC-PMAE

P. crabroniformis F. Smith, 1856

CAN

–

P. gibbosus (Fabricius, 1775)

CAN

–

SK-RSKM; NB-BugG 2019b

P. gloriosus Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

SK-GJHC

P. inversus Patton, 1879

CAN

–

SK-RSKM

P. lepidus Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

QC-RSKM

P. multimaculatus Cameron, 1891

CAN

–

P. pacificus Cresson, 1880

CAN

–

P. politus Say, 1824

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; QC-LEMQ

P. psyche Dunning, 1896

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; SK-CMNC

P. pulcher Dalla Torre, 1897

CAN

–

YT-SMDV

P. sanbornii Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

SK-CMNC; QC-iNat 2022m

P. solivagus Say, 1837

CAN

–

NB-BugG 2014c

P. ventilabris Fabricius, 1798

CAN

–

SK-RSKM; QC-LEMQ; NB-iNat 2020h

P. ventralis (Mickel, 1918)

CAN

–

P. zebratus Cresson, 1880 = P. basilaris Cresson, 1880 ¹

CAN

–

● ¹ Synonymy confirmed, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes.

FAMILY PSENIDAE Costa, 1858

Genus Mimesa Shuckard, 1837 ¹

Nearctic revision – Finnamore 1983.

M. cheyenne Finnamore, 1983 ²

CAN

–

BC-SMDV; AB-PMAE

M. coquilletti (Rohwer, 1910)

CAN

–

GJHC

M. cressonii Packard, 1867

CAN

–

M. curta Pulawski & Buck, nom. nov.

CAN

–

= M. simplex (Malloch, 1933) (preocc.) ³

M. dawsoni Mickel, 1916

CAN

–

BC-RBCM; SK-CMNC

M. edentata (Malloch, 1933)

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

M. ezra (Pate, 1944)

CAN

–

BC-RBCM

M. foxi Finnamore, 1980

CAN

–

Finnamore 1983; NS-RSKM; NF-NOFC

M. granulosa (Fox, 1898)

CAN

–

PMAE; CMNC

M. huron Finnamore, 1980

CAN

–

SK,NS-Finnamore 1983

M. ipai Finnamore, 1983

CAN

–

RBCM

M. lutaria (Fabricius, 1787)

CAN

–

NF-NOFC

M. maculipes Fox, 1893

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; QC-LEMQ

M. pauper Packard, 1867

CAN

–

YT-SMDV; NF-NOFC

M. pygidialis (Malloch, 1933)

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; ON-DEBU

M. senijextee Finnamore, 1983

CAN

–

AB-UASM

M. unicincta Cresson, 1865 ⁴ = M. gregaria (Fox, 1898), syn. nov.

CAN

–

● ¹ Excluded species: M. sabina Gittins, 1966, BC-Ratzlaff 2016, misidentification of M. edentata. ● ² The type series of M. cheyenne is mixed and includes a second, cryptic species from the type locality. The latter is undescribed and occurs in AB, SK. ● ³ Preoccupied by Psen simplex Tournier, 1889, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. ● ⁴ See Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes.

Genus Mimumesa Malloch, 1933 ¹

North American review – Malloch 1933.

M. atratina (Morawitz, 1891) ²

CAN

–

AK-USNM; SK-GJHC

M. canadensis (Malloch, 1933)

CAN

–

AK-UAM; BC-PMAE; AB-GJHC

M. clypeata (Fox, 1898)

CAN

–

ON-DEBU

M. johnsoni (Viereck, 1901)

CAN

–

ON-PMAE; QC-DEBU

M. leucopus (Say, 1837) ³

CAN

–

M. longicornis (Fox, 1898)

CAN

–

M. mellipes (Say, 1837)

CAN

–

QC-LEMQ

M. mixta (Fox, 1898)

CAN

–

AK-UAM; SK-RSKM

M. nigra (Packard, 1867) ⁴

CAN

–

SK-RSKM; MB-PMAE

M. propinqua (Kincaid, 1900)

CAN

–

M. sibiricana R. Bohart, 1976

CAN

–

PMAE

● ¹ Excluded species: M. psychra (Pate, 1944) from “Hudson Bay” (type locality), nomen dubium. ● ² Due to misassociation of the female of M. atratina with M. propinqua, the AK-Malloch 1933 refers in part to the former. ● ³ AB-Malloch 1933, and AB-Strickland 1947: misidentifications of M. propinqua. ● ⁴ YT-Finnamore 1997, BC-Ratzlaff 2016, and BC-Krombein 1979: likely misidentifications of M. mixta.

Genus Psen Latreille, 1796

Key to New World species – van Lith 1975.

P. barthi Viereck, 1907

CAN

–

P. erythropoda Rohwer, 1910

CAN

–

QC-PMAE

P. monticola (Packard, 1867)

CAN

–

Genus Pseneo Malloch, 1933

Key to New World species – van Lith 1975.

P. longiventris (Cameron, 1891) ¹

CAN

–

DEBU

P. simplicicornis (Fox, 1898)

CAN

–

NS-BIOUG

● ¹ P. l. kohlii (Fox, 1898).

Genus Psenulus Kohl, 1897

Key to North American species – Krombein 1950 (as Diodontus).

P. frontalis (Fox, 1898)

CAN

–

P. laevigatus (Schenck, 1857) ^§

CAN

–

BIOUG

P. pallipes (Panzer, 1798) ¹

CAN

–

QC-PMAE; NS-BOLD 2010b

P. schencki (Tournier, 1889) ^§

CAN

–

BIOUG

P. trisulcus (Fox, 1898)

CAN

–

NB-LEMQ; NS-BOLD 2010c

● ¹ P. p. parenosas (Pate, 1944).

FAMILY SPHECIDAE Latreille, 1802

SUBFAMILY AMMOPHILINAE André, 1886

Genus Ammophila Kirby, 1798 ¹

North and Central American revision – Menke 2020.

A. aberti Haldeman, 1852

CAN

–

A. azteca Cameron, 1888 ²

CAN

–

AK-UAM; Menke 2020; NS-RSKM; NF-NOFC

A. breviceps F. Smith, 1856 ³

CAN

–

RBCM

A. cleopatra Menke, 1964

CAN

–

BC-RBCM; SK-RSKM; ON-DEBU

A. evansi Menke, 1964

CAN

–

A. extremitata Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

A. fernaldi (Murray, 1938)

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; ON-WRME; QC-LEMQ; NB-iNat 2022h

A. ferruginosa Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

BC-SMDV; SK-RSKM

A. harti (Fernald, 1931)

CAN

–

Menke 2020

A. juncea Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

RSKM

A. karenae Menke, 1964

CAN

–

RBCM; PMAE

A. kennedyi (Murray, 1938)

CAN

–

A. macra Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

A. mcclayi Menke, 1964

CAN

–

A. mediata Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

AK-SMDV; Menke 2020; NS-RSKM

A. nigricans Dahlbom, 1843

CAN

–

DEBU

A. pictipennis Walsh, 1869

CAN

–

QC-iNat 2022i; NB-iNat 2021g

A. placida F. Smith, 1856 ⁴

CAN

–

A. polita Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

BC-SMDV; SK-PMAE

A. procera Dahlbom, 1843

CAN

–

SK-RSKM; NB-iNat 2019g

A. pruinosa Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

PMAE

A. regina Menke, 1964

CAN

–

A. strenua Cresson, 1865 ⁵

CAN

–

SMDV; PMAE

A. urnaria Dahlbom, 1843 ⁶

CAN

–

AB-PMAE

A. varipes Cresson, 1865

CAN

–

SK-PMAE

● ¹ Excluded species: A. acuta (Fernald, 1934), BC-Ratzlaff (2016), misidentifications of A. regina and A. extremitata; A. parapolita (Fernald, 1934), AB-Strickland 1947, misidentifications of A. ferruginosa and A. macra; A. parkeri Menke, 1964, AB-Finnamore and Buckle 1999, misidentification of A. varipes. ● ² Nominate subspecies. ● ³ AB-Strickland 1947: misidentification of A. varipes. ● ⁴ BC-Spencer and Wellington 1948 (cited in Ratzlaff 2016): misidentification of A. extremitata. ● ⁵ NT-Steiner 1973: misidentification of A. mediata. ● ⁶ AB-Strickland 1947: misidentifications of A. azteca and A. kennedyi.

Genus Eremnophila Menke, 1964

Key to species – Menke 1964.

E. aureonotata (Cameron, 1888)

CAN

–

NB-iNat 2019i; PE-iNat 2019j; NS-iNat 2023h

Genus Podalonia Fernald, 1927 ¹

North and Central American revision – Murray 1940.

P. argentifrons (Cresson, 1865)

CAN

–

BC-RBCM

P. atriceps (F. Smith, 1856)

CAN

–

SK-PMAE

P. clypeata Murray, 1940

CAN

–

SMDV; PMAE

P. luctuosa (F. Smith, 1856)

CAN

–

P. melaena Murray, 1940

CAN

–

SMDV

P. mexicana (Saussure, 1867)

CAN

–

P. mickeli Murray, 1940

CAN

–

P. occidentalis Murray, 1940 ²

CAN

–

SK-CMNC

P. robusta (Cresson, 1865)

CAN

–

AK-UAM

P. sericea Murray, 1940

CAN

–

P. sonorensis (Cameron, 1888)

CAN

–

BC-RBCM

P. valida (Cresson, 1865)

CAN

–

MB-RSKM

P. violaceipennis (Lepeletier, 1845) ³

CAN

–

QC-LEMQ

● ¹ Excluded species: P. argentipilis (Provancher, 1887), a nomen dubium, described from BC, see Ratzlaff (2016). ● ² BC-Ratzlaff 2016: misidentifications of P. robusta and P. sericea. ● ³ AB-Carter 1925, AB-Strickland 1947: misidentifications of P. luctuosa, P. robusta and P. sericea; AB-Hilchie 1982: misidentification of P. sericea; AB-Finnamore and Buckle 1999: misidentification of P. mickeli.

SUBFAMILY CHLORIONTINAE Fernald, 1905

Genus Chlorion Latreille, 1802

Nearctic revision – Bohart and Menke 1963 (as part of “Sceliphronini”).

C. aerarium Patton, 1879

CAN

–

BC-SMDV; AB-PMAE

SUBFAMILY SCELIPHRINAE Ashmead, 1899

Nearctic revision – Bohart and Menke 1963 (as “Sceliphronini”).

TRIBE PODIINI de Saussure, 1892

Genus Podium Fabricius, 1804

P. luctuosum F. Smith, 1856

CAN

–

DEBU

TRIBE SCELIPHRINI Ashmead, 1899

Genus Chalybion Dahlbom, 1843

C. californicum (de Saussure, 1867)

CAN

–

SK-GJHC; MB-WRME; PE-BugG 2008; NS-BugG 2014d

Genus Sceliphron Klug, 1801

S. caementarium (Drury, 1773)

CAN

–

SK-RSKM

S. curvatum (F. Smith, 1870) ^{§ 1}

CAN

–

DEBU; BugG 2013e; iNat 2022j

● ¹ NS: occurrence status uncertain, based on a single record.

SUBFAMILY SPHECINAE Latreille, 1802

Nearctic revision – Bohart and Menke 1963 (as Sphecini).

TRIBE PRIONYCHINI R. BOHART & Menke, 1963

Genus Palmodes Kohl, 1890 ¹

P. californicus R. Bohart & Menke, 1961

CAN

–

Bohart and Menke 1963

P. carbo R. Bohart & Menke, 1963

CAN

–

AB,SK-PMAE

P. dimidiatus (DeGeer, 1773)

CAN

–

iNat 2024f; DEBU

P. hesperus R. Bohart & Menke, 1961

CAN

–

● ¹ Excluded species: P. laeviventris (Cresson, 1865), BC-Spencer and Wellington 1948 (cited by Ratzlaff 2016), misidentification of P. carbo.

Genus Prionyx Van der Linden, 1827 ¹

P. atratus (Lepeletier, 1845)

CAN

–

MB-RSKM

P. canadensis (Provancher, 1887) ²

CAN

–

P. parkeri R. Bohart & Menke, 1963 ³

CAN

–

DEBU; iNat 2020i; BugG 2013f

P. thomae (Fabricius, 1775)

CAN

–

PMAE; RSKM

● ¹ Excluded species: P. bifoveolatus (Taschenberg, 1869), BC-Spencer and Wellington 1948, AB-Carter 1925, ON-Harrington 1902, misidentifications of P. canadensis, P. parkeri and P. thomae. ● ² ON-Bohart and Menke 1963: probable misidentifications (depository unknown). See Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes. ● ³ AB-Finnamore and Buckle 1999: misidentification of P. canadensis.

TRIBE SPHECINI Latreille, 1802

Genus Isodontia Patton, 1880

Subgenus Isodontia Patton, 1880

I. apicalis (F. Smith, 1856)

CAN

–

I. philadelphica (Lepeletier, 1845)

CAN

–

DEBU

Subgenus Murrayella R. Bohart & Menke, 1963 ¹

I. auripes (Fernald, 1906)

CAN

–

I. elegans (F. Smith, 1856) ²

CAN

–

SK-RSKM; ON-DEBU

I. mexicana (de Saussure, 1867) ³

CAN

–

BC-PMAE; NB-iNat 2020j; PE-iNat 2023i; NS-iNat 2021i

● ¹ Excluded species: I. azteca (de Saussure, 1867) (as Chlorion aztecum), BC-Spencer and Wellington 1948, misidentification of Sphex lucae. ● ² Native to western Nearctic, introduced in ON. ● ³ BC populations possibly due to accidental introduction(s), see Results and discussion: Introduced species.

Genus Sphex Linnaeus, 1758

Subgenus Fernaldina R. Bohart & Menke, 1963

S. lucae de Saussure, 1867

CAN

–

AB-PMAE; SK-GJHC

Subgenus Sphex Linnaeus, 1758

S. ichneumoneus (Linnaeus, 1758)

CAN

–

MB-iNat 2017

S. pensylvanicus Linnaeus, 1763 ¹

CAN

–

QC-LEMQ; NB-NBMB

● ¹ MB-Bizecki Robson 2014: misidentification of Podalonia argentifrons.

Presentation of data

The main results of our study are presented in two tables: Table 1 reports the number of described species and genera per family by region, and Table 2 shows the occurrence of each species by region. Table 3 deals with undescribed and Tables 5, 6 with introduced species. The acronyms used for the regions in these tables are: CAN = Canada, AK = Alaska (USA), YT = Yukon Territory, NT = Northwest Territories, NU = Nunavut, BC = British Columbia, AB = Alberta, SK = Saskatchewan, MB = Manitoba, ON = Ontario, QC = Quebec, NB = New Brunswick, PE = Prince Edward Island, NS = Nova Scotia, LB = Labrador, NF = Newfoundland island, GL = Greenland (Denmark). For convenience of use, the taxonomic arrangement in Table 2 is strictly alphabetical at every taxonomic level, rather than phylogenetic. Records are classified either as 1) new, 2) published and substantiated by collection records or photographic records, or 3) published but unverified. The different types of records are indicated in different fonts and colours in Table 2 (see Table heading). We did not consider records as published if they were merely implied as part of a larger range (e.g., “transcontinental in Canada”), or if they were only reported on the internet. Unless otherwise mentioned, all records are substantiated by specimens in the Canadian National Collection. Unfortunately, it was not feasible to include additional depositories in Table 2. For species without voucher specimens at the CNC we mention only one other depository in the table, even if there were multiple others. Due to the limitations of space, we did not include literature references for individual published records, except if they could not be verified by examination of specimens or images. Nevertheless, all publications that contributed distribution records are included in the References section. Table 2 also provides references to revisions, keys or other important taxonomic literature under the respective genus, tribe, subfamily or family headers. In addition to the published checklist, the data presented in Table 2 will be available online through Canadensys (https://data.canadensys.net/ipt/resource?r=aafc-hymenoptera-canada-ak-gl) and will also be registered on GBIF (Bennett 2024).

Table 3.

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Undescribed species of apoid wasps in Canada and Alaska by region. See Methods for explanation of acronyms and Fig. 1 for their locations.

FAMILY	Genus (Subgenus)	Species	CAN	AK	YT	NT	NU	BC	AB	SK	MB	ON	QC	NB	PE	NS	LB	NF
Bembicidae	Foxia ¹		CAN	–	–	–	–	BC	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Bembicidae	Nysson ²	sp. A	CAN	–	–	–	–	BC	AB	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Bembicidae	Nysson	sp. nr. hesperus	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	AB	–	MB	ON	–	NB	–	–	–	–
Crabronidae	Crabro		CAN	–	–	–	–	–	AB	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Crabronidae	Tachysphex		CAN	–	–	–	–	–	AB	–	MB	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Crabronidae	Miscophus (Nitelopterus) ³		CAN	–	–	–	–	BC	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Crabronidae	Solierella		CAN	–	–	–	–	–	AB	SK	MB	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Pemphredonidae	Diodontus	sp. 1	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	AB	SK	MB	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Pemphredonidae	Diodontus	sp. 3	CAN	–	YT	–	–	–	AB	SK	MB	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Pemphredonidae	Diodontus	sp. 4	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	AB	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Pemphredonidae	Diodontus	sp. 5	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	AB	SK	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Pemphredonidae	Diodontus	sp. 6	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	AB	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Pemphredonidae	Diodontus	sp. 7	CAN	–	YT	–	–	BC	AB	SK	MB	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Pemphredonidae	Diodontus ⁴	sp. 8	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	ON	–	–	–	–	–	–
Pemphredonidae	Diodontus	sp. B	CAN	–	–	–	–	BC	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Pemphredonidae	Diodontus	sp. MA	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	AB	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Pemphredonidae	Diodontus	sp. MB	CAN	–	–	–	–	BC	AB	SK	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Psenidae	Mimesa	sp. 3	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	AB	SK	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Psenidae	Mimesa	sp. nr. cheyenne	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	AB	SK	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Psenidae	Mimumesa ⁵		CAN	AK	–	–	–	BC	AB	–	–	ON	QC	NB	–	–	LB	NF
Psenidae	Pluto		CAN	–	–	–	–	–	AB	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
TOTAL			21	1	2	0	0	7	17	8	6	3	1	2	0	0	1	1

Higher classification

One of the key questions of Apoidea systematics has been the position of the bees within the phylogenetic system (e.g., Melo 1999, and subsequent studies cited below). Due to the paraphyly of apoid wasps with regard to bees, the systematic placement of the latter within the Apoidea determines how apoid wasp must be classified into families. The close relationship between bees and apoid wasps has long been postulated (e.g., see Müller 1872; Ashmead 1896). However, finding the sister group of the bees has been an iterative process that is still ongoing and remains a matter of scientific debate. Bohart and Menke’s (1976) foundational revision included all apoid wasps in a paraphyletic family Sphecidae, despite acknowledging a close relationship of the bees with some of its constituent subfamilies. The North American catalog (Krombein 1979) elevated the subfamilies to family level but still kept them in their own superfamily Sphecoidea, separate from the bees. However, with the advance of phylogenetic systematics, this arrangement could no longer be upheld. Lomholdt (1982) and Melo (1999) proposed new classifications where Sphecidae (s.s.) and Ampulicidae were given family status and the remainder of the former subfamilies were united in the Crabronidae as the putative sister group of the bees. Subsequent molecular studies (e.g., Debevec et al. 2012; Branstetter et al. 2017; Peters et al. 2017) proposed different phylogenies for the Apoidea but agreed on the fact that the bees are nested even deeper within the Crabronidae (s.l.). Therefore, Sann et al. (2018) proposed to reinstate most of Krombein’s (1979) families. Furthermore, Sann et al. (2018, 2021) proposed that the Pemphredoninae (or Pemphredonidae) of earlier authors are paraphyletic as well, postulating the former tribe Ammoplanini as the sister group of the bees. This resulted in the elevation of most of the former Pemphredoninae tribes to family level, namely Ammoplanidae, Pemphredonidae and Psenidae. These findings are still very recent and require critical testing both from a morphological and genetic perspective. We tentatively adopt Sann et al.’s (2021) classification for the present checklist, but we acknowledge that it is but a snapshot in a rapidly evolving field of study. As with every other classification of Apoidea that has been published up to the present it will become outdated, probably sooner rather than later. Based on Sann et al. (2021), we recognize ten apoid wasp families for the Nearctic region including the area of this checklist. In phylogenetic order they are: Ampulicidae, Sphecidae, Crabronidae, Mellinidae, Astatidae, Bembicidae, Psenidae, Philanthidae, Pemphredonidae and Ammoplanidae.

Taxonomy

Below the family level, our classification largely follows Pulawski (2025), with ranks of subfamilies, tribes and subtribes adjusted to the current family classification (see above). Major taxonomic treatments for each group are cited under their respective headers in Table 2. It is worth noting that Pulawski (2025) corrected the actual publication dates of several taxa that were cited incorrectly in Krombein (1979). New insights gained during this study have led to a number of taxonomic changes at the species level (new synonymies, species re-instated from synonymy, revised species concepts). All these are explained in Appendix 1 and referred to by superscript notes in Table 2. Most of the changes occur in a few problematic genera for which the taxonomy is poorly known, namely Diodontus Curtis, Solierella, Gorytes Latreille and Nysson Latreille. In order to clarify the status of problematic species, we examined type material or images of type specimens of 57 nominal species (see Appendix 1). The new findings will be the subject of a series of taxonomic reviews and subsequent papers, which will include detailed species diagnoses and new identification keys.

Biogeography

For the biogeographic analysis, species were classified into four groups according to their east-west distribution: transcontinental, eastern, western and central. The classification is based on the overall distribution in America north of Mexico, not restricted to Canada and Alaska. Transcontinental species are defined as species that reach at least one coastal province or state on each side of the continent. For practical reasons, we adopt similar criteria to define eastern and western species in order to avoid arbitrary range demarcations in the middle of the continent, regardless of divergent definitions of these terms elsewhere in the literature. For the purposes of our biogeographic analysis, eastern species have ranges that attain one or more coastal provinces (see Fig. 1) or states on the Atlantic side of the continent. Conversely, western species attain one or more coastal provinces or states on the Pacific side. Central species do not attain coastal provinces or states on either side of the continent. Some introduced species with anthropogenically caused disjunct distributions cannot be classified according to this scheme and were omitted from the analysis. Species are furthermore classified into northern, if the main part of their New World range lies within Canada and Alaska, or southern, if it falls south of the Canadian border. This is not always easy to determine and therefore our statistics can only provide an approximate picture.

Figure 1.

Map of Canada, Alaska and Greenland showing the number of described, recorded apoid wasp species and percentage of total species by region. Canada is comprised of all regions except for Alaska, Greenland and the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon. See Methods section for acronyms of regions treated in the checklist (SPM: St. Pierre and Miquelon, France).

Native species are here defined as those that occur naturally in the Nearctic region, whereas introduced species have arrived in the region accidentally by anthropogenic means. The introduced species we list here are all considered established, even though some of them have only been recorded a few times, probably due to their small size and inconspicuous nature. A single exception is noted in Table 2 and in the discussion, referring to a species that appears to have been established for a certain period of time but lacks recent records. In most cases, introduced species are easily recognized as such because they are common and well-known in their native range and have suddenly appeared in North America. A few cases, however, are less straightforward, e.g. when introductions have happened a long time ago or when they involve poorly known taxa. Some species have only tentatively been considered introduced until recently, and one species that has been known from North America for almost a century is newly recognized as introduced in the present paper (see Results and discussion: Introduced species). In doubtful cases, the criteria used to distinguish introduced from native species are largely based on biogeographic considerations. Naturally occurring Holarctic species almost always have ranges that include Beringia whereas introduced species show patterns that cannot be explained readily by a dispersal through Beringia. The vast majority of introduced species at least initially show an asymmetrical west Palearctic/east Nearctic distribution pattern, even though many of them later spread farther into the continent or spawn disjunct western populations caused by subsequent anthropogenic dispersal across the continent. Unlike naturally occurring Holarctic species, all introduced apoid wasp species are absent from sparsely populated northern regions of the Nearctic, including Beringia (one exception). The very few introduced Oriental/east Palearctic species show highly unusual ranges that cannot be explained by natural dispersal. Introduced species are usually first detected in densely populated areas near major ports since their dispersal depends on transcontinental travel and shipping routes (e.g., Kurczewski 1998). The correlation between nesting habits and introductions is discussed in the Results and discussion section. Introduced species are considered invasive when their occurrence causes harmful environmental, economic, and/or social impacts (e.g., see Beggs et al. 2011).

Nesting habits

Information on nesting habits was extracted from Bohart and Menke (1976), Krombein (1979) and Pulawski (2025). In apoid wasps, nesting habits are usually conserved within a given group, whether it be family, subfamily, genus or subgenus. Species whose nesting habits have not been observed were categorized based on morphological characteristics shared with congeners whose nesting habits are known. Ground-nesting species possess rake setae on the female fore tarsus, enabling them to dig nests, and the pygidial plate of female metasomal tergum 6 is flat, used to tamp soil. These morphological features are not developed in cavity nesters. Within the area of the checklist, only a few genera include both ground- and cavity-nesting species, such as Ectemnius Dahlbom, Crossocerus and Mimumesa Malloch. Most species can readily be classified into nesting habit categories, except for the majority of Ammoplanidae and some Solierella. The nesting habits of Ammoplanidae are poorly known in general (Bohart and Menke 1976). Solierella has both ground- and cavity-nesting species (Krombein 1979). The categories become somewhat blurred in this genus as some species use pre-existing cavities in the soil (Williams 1950), and some species show intermediate morphological conditions (i.e., variably developed rake setae in species of the S. fossor-group). These species could not be categorized.

Results and discussion

Overview of the fauna

The area of the checklist (Fig. 1) is home to 531 described species, 70 of which represent new records, both for the area of the checklist and for Canada (Tables 1, 2). The confirmed species are distributed across ten families: Ammoplanidae (Figs 2–6), Ampulicidae (Figs 7–8), Astatidae (Figs 9–11), Bembicidae (Figs 12–36), Crabronidae (Figs 37–59), Mellinidae (Fig. 60), Pemphredonidae (Figs 61–65), Philanthidae (Figs 66–70), Psenidae (Figs 71–76) and Sphecidae (Figs 77–87). This includes all known apoid wasp families except for the small and geographically restricted Heterogynaidae, Entomosericidae and Eremiaspheciidae, of which the latter two have only recently been raised to family level (Sann et al. 2021). Eighty-four genera are recorded based on described species (Tables 1, 2) and an additional two without included species (see below). This number is slightly less than one-third of the currently recognized worldwide total of apoid wasp genera (277 according to Pulawski 2025). Psammaletes Pate (Bembicidae) (Fig. 25) and Larra (Crabronidae) (Fig. 48) are newly recorded for the area of the checklist. Pluto Pate (Psenidae) (Fig. 73) is also newly recorded based on an undescribed species from Alberta and Foxia Ashmead (Bembicidae) (Fig. 33) with an unidentified species from British Columbia.

Figures 2–7.

Ammoplanidae and Ampulicidae adults. 2–6 Ammoplanidae. 7 Ampulicidae (Ampulicinae). 2 Ammoplanellus umatilla, female, Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, AB (© Matthias Buck, PMAE) 3 Ammoplanops moenkopi, female, Onefour, AB (© Matthias Buck, PMAE) 4 Ammoplanus unami, female, Parc de la Gatineau, QC (© Matthias Buck, PMAE) 5 Parammoplanus irwini, male, Milk River near Ross Lake Natural Area, AB (© Matthias Buck, PMAE) 6 Pulverro columbianus, male, Redcliff, AB (© Matthias Buck, PMAE) 7 Ampulex canaliculata, male, Rondeau Provincial Park, ON (© Steve Marshall). Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figures 8–13.

Ampulicidae, Astatidae and Bembicidae adults. 8 Ampulicidae (Dolichurinae). 9–11 Astatidae. 12–13 Bembicidae (Alyssontinae). 8 Dolichurus greenei, female, Pinery Provincial Park, ON (© Steve Marshall) 9 Astata unicolor, female, Fundy National Park, NB (© Denis Doucet) 10 Diploplectron peglowi, male, St. Williams, ON (© Steve Marshall) 11 Dryudella caerulea, male, Comox, BC (© Carroll Perkins) 12 Alysson melleus, female, Parry Sound, ON (© Steve Marshall) 13 Didineis texana, male, Toronto, ON (© Owen Strickland).

Figures 14–19.

Bembicidae (Bembicinae) adults. 14 Bembix pallidipicta, female, Norfolk County, ON (© Riley Walsh) 15 Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus, female, Pinery Provincial Park, ON (© Steve Marshall) 16 Microbembex monodonta, female, Spruce Woods Provincial Park, MB (© Deanna Dodgson) 17 Stictia carolina, female, Cape May Point, New Jersey (© Stephen Mirick) 18 Argogorytes nigrifrons, female, Apohaqui, NB (© Denis Doucet) 19 Clitemnestra bipunctata, male, Edmonton, AB (© Carroll Perkins).

Figures 20–25.

Bembicidae (Bembicinae) adults. 20 Gorytes simillimus, female, Clyde, AB (© Carroll Perkins) 21 Harpactus sp., male, San Bernardino County, California (© Elena Oey) 22 Hoplisoides nebulosus or punctifrons, male, near Rolling Hills, AB (© Terry Thormin) 23 Lestiphorus cockerelli, female, Groton, Massachusetts (© Tom Murray) 24 Oryttus gracilis, male, near Rolling Hills, AB (© Terry Thormin) 25 Psammaletes mexicanus, female, Gateway National Recreation Area, New York (© Julian Fuchs).

Figures 26–31.

Bembicidae (Bembicinae) adults. 26 Saygorytes phaleratus, male, Brampton, ON (© Bob Noble) 27 Sphecius speciosus, female, Walpole Island, ON (© Steve Marshall) 28 Glenostictia pictifrons, female, Calhan, Colorado (© Eric Eaton) 29 Steniolia scolopacea, female, Lillooet, BC (© Ian Routley) 30 Stictiella emarginata, female, Toronto, ON (© Dave Beadle) 31 Stizoides renicinctus, female, Kennewick, Washington (© Donna Lucas).

Figures 32–37.

Bembicidae and Crabronidae adults. 32–36 Bembicidae (Nyssoninae). 37 Crabronidae (Crabroninae). 32 Epinysson mellipes, male, Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve, ON (© Steve Marshall) 33 Foxia cf. pacifica, female, Mariposa County, California (© Daniel Horner) 34 Hyponysson bicolor, male, Sunnynook, AB (© Matthias Buck, PMAE) 35 Nysson lateralis, female, Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve, ON (© Steve Marshall) 36 Zanysson texanus, male, Franklin County, Washington (© Lisa Hill) 37 Anacrabro ocellatus, female, Peel Region, ON (© Bob Noble). Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figures 38–43.

Crabronidae (Crabroninae) adults. 38 Entomognathus memorialis, female, Orono, Minnesota (© Heather Holm) 39 Crabro argusinus, male, Clyde, AB (© Carroll Perkins) 40 Crossocerus impressifrons, female, Sussex Corner, NB (© Denis Doucet) 41 Ectemnius lapidarius, female, Elk Island National Park, AB (© Carroll Perkins) 42 Lestica confluenta, male guarding female, Edmonton, AB (© Carroll Perkins) 43 Lindenius errans or armaticeps, female, Knoxville, Tennessee (© Will Kuhn).

Figures 44–49.

Crabronidae adults. 44 Crabroninae. 45–49 Larrinae. 44 Rhopalum clavipes, female, Québec, QC (© Léo-Guy de Repentigny) 45 Larropsis distincta, Pinery Provincial Park, ON (© Steve Marshall) 46 Tachysphex similis, female, Opal, AB (© Carroll Perkins) 47 Tachytes harpax, female, Fundy National Park, NB (© Denis Doucet) 48 Larra analis, female, Hanover County, Virginia (© Louise Woodrich) 49 Liris argentatus, male, St. Williams, Manestar Tract, ON (© Steve Marshall).

Figures 50–55.

Crabronidae adults. 50–54 Miscophinae. 55 Oxybelinae. 50 Lyroda subita, female, near Rolling Hills, AB (© Terry Thormin) 51 Miscophus californicus, female, Santa Barbara County, California (© Alice Abela, species identification see Kurczewski et al. 2020) 52 Nitela sp., female, San Diego, California (© Steve Kerr) 53 Plenoculus davisi, female, Ganaraska forest, Clarington, ON (© Steve Marshall) 54 Solierella inermis-group, male, Vail, Arizona (© Jillian Cowles) 55 Belomicrus forbesii, male, Ukalta, AB (© Matthias Buck, PMAE). Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figures 56–61.

Crabronidae, Mellinidae and Pemphredonidae adults. 56–59 Crabronidae. 60 Mellinidae. 61 Pemphredonidae. 56 Oxybelus uniglumis, female (Oxybelinae), Elk Island National Park, AB (© Carroll Perkins) 57 Pison koreense (Trypoxylinae), West Harrison, New York (© Clarence Holmes) 58 Pisonopsis triangularis, male (Trypoxylinae), Onefour, AB (© Matthias Buck, PMAE) 59 Trypoxylon frigidum, female (Trypoxylinae), Edmonton, AB (© Carroll Perkins) 60 Mellinus abdominalis, male, near Rolling Hills, AB (© Terry Thormin) 61 Diodontus minutus, male (Pemphredoninae), Fergus, ON (© Steve Marshall). Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figures 62–67.

Pemphredonidae and Philanthidae adults. 62–65 Pemphredonidae. 66–67 Philanthidae (Aphilanthopinae). 62 Passaloecus cuspidatus, female (Pemphredoninae), Edmonton, AB (© Carroll Perkins) 63 Pemphredon sp., female (Pemphredoninae), Québec, QC (© Léo-Guy de Repentigny) 64 Spilomena occidentalis, female (Spilomeninae), Edmonton, AB (© Matthias Buck, PMAE) 65 Stigmus americanus-complex, male (Stigminae), Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve, ON (© Steve Marshall) 66 Aphilanthops frigidus, female, St. Williams, ON (© Steve Marshall) 67 Clypeadon laticinctus, female, Richland, Washington (© Lisa Hill). Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figures 68–73.

Philanthidae and Psenidae adults. 68–70 Philanthidae. 71–73 Psenidae. 68 Cerceris sexta, female (Cercerinae), Twin River Heritage Rangeland Natural Area, AB (© Matthias Buck) 69 Eucerceris zonata, female (Cercerinae), near Spruce Woods Provincial Park, MB (© Deanna Dodgson) 70 Philanthus psyche, male (Philanthinae), near Rolling Hills, AB (© Terry Thormin) 71 Mimesa sp., male, Cedar Creek Conservation Area, ON (© Steve Marshall) 72 Mimumesa sp., male, Brampton, ON (© Bob Noble) 73 Pluto sp. (undescribed), male, Onefour, AB (© Matthias Buck, PMAE). Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figures 74–79.

Psenidae and Sphecidae adults. 74–76 Psenidae. 77–79 Sphecidae (Ammophilinae). 74 Psen monticola, female, Elora, ON (© Steve Marshall) 75 Pseneo longiventris kohlii, female, Williamsville, Missouri (© Matthias Buck, PMAE) 76 Psenulus pallipes parenosas, male, Ancaster, ON (© Matthias Buck, PMAE) 77 Ammophila macra, male guarding female, near Writing-on-Stone, AB (© Matthias Buck) 78 Eremnophila aureonotata, male guarding female, Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve, ON (© Steve Marshall) 79 Podalonia valida, male, near Rolling Hills, AB (© Terry Thormin). Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 80–85.

Sphecidae adults. 80 Chloriontinae. 81–83 Sceliphrinae. 84–85 Sphecinae. 80 Chlorion aerarium, female, Pinery Provincial Park, ON (© Steve Marshall) 81 Podium luctuosum, female, Pinery Provincial Park, ON (© Michael King) 82 Chalybion californicum, female, Québec, QC (© Léo-Guy de Repentigny) 83 Sceliphron caementarium, female, Québec, QC (© Léo-Guy de Repentigny) 84 Palmodes dimidiatus, female, Hanover County, Virginia (© Louise Woodrich) 85 Prionyx parkeri, female, Fundy National Park, NB (© Denis Doucet).

Figures 86–90.

Adults, nests and environments of apoid wasps. 86–87 Adults of Sphecidae (Sphecinae). 88–89 Nests. 90. Environments. 86 Isodontia mexicana, female, Fundy National Park, NB (© Denis Doucet) 87 Sphex pensylvanicus, female, Québec, QC (© Léo-Guy de Repentigny) 88 Trypoxylon politum nest with female (Crabronidae, Trypoxylinae), Guelph, ON (© Steve Marshall) 89 Sceliphron caementarium nest with female (Sphecidae, Sceliphrinae), Elora, ON (© Steve Marshall) 90 Milk River Natural Area in southeastern Alberta. The Milk River Valley is one of the apoid wasp biodiversity hotspots in the area of the checklist. Alberta has 326 described species of apoid wasps, more than any other province or territory in Canada (© Matthias Buck).

All species in this checklist are known from Canada, including the 63 Alaskan species. There are no apoid wasp records from Greenland. Outside the area of the checklist, two species of Crabro Fabricius, C. latipes F. Smith (iNaturalist 2022q) and C. cribrellifer (Packard) (Gargominy et al. 2021; unverified) have been recorded from the French Collectivity of St. Pierre and Miquelon. The 531 Canadian/Alaskan species make up 38.9% of the total number of species found in America north of Mexico (1365 spp. as of March 2024, see Pulawski 2025, including ten newly added Nearctic records from the present study). This constitutes a dramatic 124% increase compared to Krombein’s (1979) Catalog, which listed merely 237 species from Canada (1139 from America north of Mexico). In relation to the World fauna, which currently includes 10,210 described species (Pulawski 2025), the Canadian fauna makes up 5.2% of all known species.

Results by political regions

Table 1 summarizes the results by administrative region and family. The total number of provincial/territorial/Alaskan species records is 2109. The greatest number of species occurs in Alberta (326), followed by Ontario and British Columbia with nearly identical numbers (294 and 292, respectively). Diversity at the genus level ranks the political regions differently (see Table 1): the largest number of genera occurs in Ontario (71), followed by Alberta/British Columbia (both 64) and Quebec (59). Twenty-four genera occur in Alaska.

The number of new provincial/territorial/Alaskan records (705, shown in red in Table 2) represents one-third (33.4%) of all records in this checklist. Roughly half of the new records emerged from the three Prairie provinces: 124 for Alberta, 117 for Saskatchewan and 113 for Manitoba (Table 1). British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and the Yukon have proportionally few new records because they have been the subject of previous provincial/territorial checklists. Almost half (49%) of Alaskan records are new. Among the highest percentages of new records (40–64%) were found in the Atlantic provinces for which the apoid wasp fauna had previously been poorly documented. All three Nunavut records are new, showing the lack of previous research in the region. Many more species should occur in the warmer, southern parts of the territory (e.g., Akimiski Island), which remain completely unexplored for apoid wasps.

Undescribed species

In addition to the 531 described species, we are aware of at least 20 undescribed species in Canada, one of which extends into Alaska (see Table 3). Besides that, there is one unidentified species in the genus Foxia that may or may not be undescribed (also included in Table 3). Most of the undescribed species are from western Canada, one is transcontinental in the north, and only one appears to be eastern. Alberta has by far the highest number of undescribed species (17 of 20). Almost half of the undescribed species belong to the genus Diodontus (Pemphredonidae) whose taxonomy has been in a state of confusion (see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes). Three of the undescribed species have previously been mentioned in the literature (see Notes under Table 3).

Erroneous previous records

A total of 33 previously published Canadian, 112 provincial/territorial and two Alaskan records were excluded because of misidentifications or because the records appear doubtful (see notes under the respective genus or subgenus in Table 2). Corrected identifications are provided if vouchers were available for re-examination. The greatest number of erroneous records was found for Alberta (38), British Columbia (36) and the Yukon (15). The high number for Alberta is not surprising since the previous provincial checklist was published over 75 years ago (Strickland 1947).

Taxonomic composition

By far the most speciose family is the Crabronidae, which includes 37.5% of all species in the area of the checklist. The second largest family is Bembicidae (16.6%), followed by Sphecidae (11.3%), Philanthidae (10.9%) and Pemphredonidae (10.2%). Under its former definition (including Psenidae and Ammoplanidae), the latter would have been the second largest family with 18.8% of the total. The highest number of new Canadian records were found in Crabronidae (29 spp.), Pemphredonidae (10 spp.) and Bembicidae (9 spp.). The highest percentages of new Canadian records in relation to the family species totals were found in Ammoplanidae (38%), Psenidae (21%), Pemphredonidae (19%) and Astatidae (18%). This probably has to do with the fact that these families include mostly small, easily overlooked species that are difficult to identify.

The different political areas show characteristic deviations in their species compositions: Crabronidae and Pemphredonidae are overrepresented in Alaska, the Canadian Territories and Newfoundland, probably because they include many species that are adapted to colder climates. Bembicidae reach their highest percentages of the total fauna in the prairie provinces and British Columbia. All Bembicidae are ground nesters, and most species prefer warmer climates, which makes the largely treeless prairie ecozone and the dry interior of British Columbia especially suitable for them.

The five most speciose genera in the area of the checklist are Cerceris Latreille (32 spp.), Tachysphex Kohl (31 spp.), Crabro (28 spp.), Crossocerus (26 spp.) and Ammophila Kirby (25 spp.). Together, their species make up over one-quarter (26.8%) of the total fauna. If undescribed species were considered, Diodontus would closely follow the top five genera with 24 species. Cerceris is not only the most speciose genus in Canada and Alaska but also worldwide (877 described species, see Pulawski 2025). Of the remaining genera, 15 have 10–20 species, 40 genera include 2–9 species and 24 genera are represented by a single species in Canada and Alaska.

Endemism

Previously, Crabro canningsi Finnamore was considered the only species of apoid wasp endemic to Canada and Alaska (Finnamore 1988; Danks et al. 1997). The species is here synonymized with the widespread Palearctic C. maeklini Morawitz (see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes). It was originally described from the Yukon, with new records from Alaska, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut (see Table 2).

Here, we newly recognize C. dietrichi as the only species endemic to the area of the checklist (restricted to Prince Edward Island, Canada). Its endemic status was previously overlooked due to identification errors in the original description. Bohart (1976) cited the type locality as “Prince Edward Island National Park, Ontario, Canada”, and designated additional paratypes from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Wyoming. The type locality is in fact in the Province of Prince Edward Island, despite the namesake island in Ontario (see discussion in Buck 2004). The paratypes from Manitoba and Saskatchewan are actually misidentified C. denningi R. Bohart, a very similar and closely related species (see Appendix 1). We have not seen the paratype from Wyoming, but it is almost certainly misidentified as well. This leaves Prince Edward Island National Park as the only locality from which the species is currently known. With a surface area of 27 km² it is the fourth smallest of Canada’s 37 National Parks (Wikipedia 2024). Due to our fragmentary knowledge of the Canadian Maritime fauna, it is possible that the species will be discovered on other coastal dunes in New Brunswick and perhaps Nova Scotia or Quebec. Crabro dietrichi appears to have one of the smallest ranges of any apoid wasp in the Nearctic region. Its sister species, C. denningi, which inhabits dune systems from Manitoba to Alberta, is likely the species with the second smallest range among the species that occur in the area of the checklist. The main part of its range appears to lie in Canada, but it has also been recorded from one locality in North Dakota (Bohart 1976).

Canada and Alaska have relatively few endemic insect species compared to other areas of North America, mainly due to their cold climate and extensive glaciation during the Pleistocene. Nonetheless, for the Yukon, Danks et al. (1997) estimated the share of insect species that is restricted to northern unglaciated areas of North America (in both Yukon and Alaska) at about one tenth of the territorial fauna. The number of east Beringian endemics was estimated at 56 in Coleoptera, 18 in Lepidoptera, five in Trichoptera, two in Heteroptera and one each in Hymenoptera, Plecoptera and Orthoptera (Haberski et al. 2021). However, the new synonymy of Crabro canningsi with the Palearctic C. maeklini (see above) has removed the only supposed east Beringian Hymenoptera endemic from that list. The scarcity of endemics among apoid wasps is not surprising considering that most of them are good fliers which disperse easily to new suitable habitats (see also under Faunal change, below). Flightless insects, on the other hand, include much higher numbers of endemics. For example, all fifteen species of Protura that are known from Alaska have never been found outside the state and are likely eastern Beringian endemics (Sikes and Allen 2016).

Species restricted to Canada

Besides the above mentioned single Canadian endemic, there are 11 Canadian species that have not been recorded from the United States. All of them are Holarctic but only two of them are considered native to Canada: Crossocerus lundbladi Kjellander (Nunavut) and Mimumesa sibiricana R. Bohart (Northwest Territories). The other nine have apparently been introduced by accident through human agency (see Table 5 for distributions): Crossocerus capitosus (Shuckard), C. binotatus Lepeletier & Brullé, Rhopalum gracile Wesmael, Miscophus ater Lepeletier, Passaloecus eremita Kohl, Pemphredon morio vander Linden, P. mortifer Valkeila, Spilomena troglodytes (vander Linden) and Psenulus laevigatus (Schenck). In summary, 519 of the 531 Canadian species have also been recorded from the U.S. Most of the species that have not been found there yet have probably just been overlooked or are expected to expand their ranges into the U.S. in the near future.

Alaskan species

The Alaskan fauna includes 63 species in 24 genera. Eight genera (Bembix Fabricius, Gorytes, Nysson, Rhopalum Stephens, Solierella, Trypoxylon Latreille, Stigmus Panzer, Podalonia Fernald) and 31 species are newly recorded for the state. Alaska has no unique species; all occur in Canada as well. Crabro maeklini, Crossocerus wesmaeli (Vander Linden) and Mimumesa atratina (Morawitz) are the only species that occur in no other U.S. state except Alaska. Twenty-four species (38%) are Holarctic, one of which was apparently introduced recently (Ectemnius cephalotes (Olivier), iNaturalist 2021n). The total number of Alaskan species represents 11.9% of the species in the area of the checklist. This percentage is similar to the percentage of Alaska’s surface area (14.7%) in relation to that of Canada and Alaska combined. The vast majority of Alaskan species are widely distributed in Canada, with a few notable exceptions (all of which represent new records). Bembix americana Fabricius is widespread in North America but does not reach the Canadian Territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut). It is known from a single record near Hoonah in Sitka Borough (iNaturalist 2022b). Crabro florissantensis Rohwer is a Cordilleran species with a single record from Haines, Alaska (UAM 2024). It ranges from British Columbia and Alberta south to California and Colorado (Bohart 1976). Only two other Alaskan species have ranges that are restricted to western Canada and the western U.S.: Solierella blaisdelli (Bridwell) ranges from central Alaska (iNaturalist 2024b) and the Northwest Territories through Alberta and British Columbia to Arizona and California (Krombein 1979). Crabro pallidus Fox has been recorded from the Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, south to Idaho, Colorado, Utah and California (Bohart 1976; Weissmann and Kondratieff 1999). The smallest Nearctic ranges among Alaskan species occur in two Holarctic species that are widespread in the northern Palearctic region: Crabro maeklini is only known from Alaska and the western part of the Canadian Territories in the Nearctic. It ranges east to Kugluktuk, Nunavut (BOLD 2024a). Apart from Alaska, Crossocerus wesmaeli has only been recorded from Yukon and Northwest Territories, ranging east to “Reindeer Depot” (= Reindeer Station) (specimen at CNC). It is possible, however, that both species are more widespread in northern Canada since the fauna of this region has not been documented very well. Even though the Alaskan fauna is moderately well known, more new discoveries can be expected.

Species with restricted distributions

Roughly one-quarter of the species (137 spp.) in this checklist have been recorded only from a single province or territory. Many of them are widely distributed in the United States but their ranges only marginally extend into Canada. Some introduced species have restricted ranges because they only recently arrived in Canada (see Introduced species, below). Some of the arctic species are only known from a single jurisdiction (e.g., Crossocerus lundbladi from Nunavut, Mimumesa sibiricana from Northwest Territories), which might reflect our fragmentary knowledge of the arctic fauna.

British Columbia has the largest number of unique species (63 spp.), followed by Ontario (43 spp.) and Alberta (21 spp.). All other provinces and territories have a maximum of one or two unique species, which might be due to a lack of study. These findings are not unexpected. The fauna of British Columbia is isolated by the Rocky Mountains which provide an effective distribution barrier. Ontario extends farther south than any other Canadian province, including habitat types such as the Carolinian forest that do not exist in other provinces (Government of Canada 2024). The fact that Alberta has significantly more exclusive species than the other prairie provinces may be in part caused by climate since isotherms are shifted northward on the western side of the continent (Atlas of Canada 1906). Apart from that, it might also reflect increased research activity in recent years.

Connections with other biogeographic regions

Holarctic species

A total of 53 species (10%) in the area of the checklist have Holarctic distributions, eleven of which are recorded for the first time from the Nearctic region (listed below and in Table 5: CAN in red font). Only 29 of the 53 species occur naturally in the Holarctic, the other 24 have attained their Holarctic ranges by means of accidental introductions: 21 of them have been introduced from the Palearctic to the Nearctic (including seven new records, see Table 5), two from the Nearctic to the Palearctic (Isodontia mexicana (de Saussure), Sceliphron caementarium (Drury)), and one species of Oriental origin, Sceliphron curvatum (F. Smith), has been introduced to both regions (also a new record, see Table 5). Three Palearctic species are recorded for the first time from the Nearctic region and are considered native to North America: Crabro maeklini (based on a newly discovered synonymy, see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes), Crossocerus lundbladi and Mimumesa sibiricana (both newly discovered in the Canadian Arctic). They are deemed native because of their apparent Beringian distribution and the remoteness of their northern Nearctic locations, far removed from established shipping and travel routes. Introduced species are discussed in a separate section below. The number of naturally Holarctic species is an overestimate since several species show significant genetic divergences between populations from each continent. For example, this is true for Pemphredon lugubris (Fabricius) and P. montana Dahlbom (see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes). Furthermore, DNA barcodes of Crossocerus barbipes (Dahlbom) from the Nearctic are more divergent from Palearctic C. barbipes than from the closely related Nearctic species C. stricklandi Pate (see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes). A similar situation exists in Vespidae, in which several Nearctic species have recently been reinstated as valid species after previously being synonymized with their Palearctic sister species (Carpenter and Glare 2010; Kimsey and Carpenter 2012; Fateryga 2022; Fateryga et al. 2023). This underlines the need for further research on the status of Holarctic apoid wasp species.

Some Holarctic species have an arctic or predominantly arctic distribution in North America, namely Dryudella pinguis (Dahlbom), Crabro maeklini, Crossocerus wesmaeli, C. lundbladi and Mimumesa sibiricana. Most of the naturally Holarctic species have a primarily boreal, transcontinental distribution in North America. A notable exception to this pattern is Tachysphex psammobius (Kohl), which occurs in southern British Columbia, southern Alberta and the western U.S. (Pulawski 1988), far removed from the former Beringian land bridge. In the Palearctic, it is widely distributed from Europe to Siberia but is also absent from northern regions such as Fennoscandia and Russia north of 59°N (Pulawski 1988).

Species shared with Mexico and the Neotropical region

A surprisingly high number of Canadian species (145 spp., 27% of species in the area of the checklist) range south into Mexico (Pulawski 2025). Eight of them also reach Central America, and seven extend into South America. The three species that range the farthest south are Sphex ichneumoneus (Linnaeus), Prionyx thomae (Fabricius) and Trypoxylon lactitarse de Saussure, all of which reach Argentina (Pulawski 2025).

Distribution patterns within North America

The distribution patterns of Canadian/Alaskan species can be classified as follows: 24.9% (132 spp.) are transcontinental, 37.1% (197 spp.) are western, 31.6% (168 spp.) are eastern and 5.6% (30 spp.) have a central distribution (for definitions of these terms please refer to the Introduction). Only three-quarters of the transcontinental species occur from coast to coast in Canada/Alaska, the other quarter (35 spp.) only attains both coasts south of the border. The ranges of some transcontinental species are broadly disjunct in Canada, e.g., in Tachysphex antennatus Fox and Trypoxylon tridentatum Packard, both of which are only known from Ontario and British Columbia (see Table 2). These distribution gaps are not caused by insufficient sampling but have likely to do with the fact that the warmest climates within Canada are present in these two provinces (Atlas of Canada 1906). Smaller distribution gaps (e.g., including only two provinces) are found in many species. In some cases, the gaps are real, in others they are due to a lack of sampling. Among the species in this checklist, true range disjunctions occur only in introduced species (see separate paragraph, below). The ranges of some transcontinental species barely extend into Canada and include merely one or two provinces, e.g., in the case of Cerceris bicornuta Guérin-Méneville (only in Ontario) and Tachytes distinctus F. Smith (only in British Columbia). Almost one-third (63 spp.) of western species are restricted to British Columbia within the area of the checklist. The number of western species is expectedly higher than that of eastern species since western North America shows a more varied topography with increased levels of geographic isolation, greater altitudinal differences and more diverse climatic conditions.

Another expected biogeographic pattern is the large number of southern species (410 spp.), which constitutes over three-quarters of the species in the checklist. Only 60 species (11.3%) have a northern or boreo-montane distribution. The remainder have intermediate distributions or are data-deficient. Despite the fact that some apoid wasp genera (e.g., Crabro, Crossocerus, Mimumesa) include a significant proportion of cold-adapted species, apoid wasps overall are much more diverse in southern regions (Krombein 1979).

Remarkable new records for the area of the checklist

A number of new Canadian records represent significant extensions with regard to their previously documented ranges. The most remarkable ones include (ordered as in Table 2):

Parammoplanus irwini N. Smith (Fig. 5) was previously only known from California, Nevada and Utah (Smith 2010). New records from the Milk River in southern Alberta (PMAE) and Osoyoos, British Columbia (RBCM) extend the known range northward by roughly 1000 km.

Parammoplanus verrucosus N. Smith was previously only known from Nevada and Utah (Smith 2010). New records from Osoyoos, British Columbia (RBCM) represent a range extension by approximately 1000 km.

Gorytes dorothyae Krombein is an eastern species that was previously known from Maryland to Florida and Louisiana (Krombein 1979). The records from Sandilands in southeastern Manitoba (WRME) are completely unexpected. The Canadian specimens have extensive black markings on the head but otherwise agree well with specimens from the U.S.

Epinysson metathoracicus (H. Smith) was described from Sioux County, Nebraska (Smith 1908) and has apparently never been collected again since its original discovery (Pulawski 2025). Two specimens from Medicine Hat, Alberta (PMAE) represent the first Canadian records. We suspect that this species might be a kleptoparasite of Harpactus gyponae Williams, another rare bembicine wasp that was collected at the same time and locality.

Crossocerus lundbladi is a Palearctic species that is recorded for the first time from the New World in Nunavut (Kugluk Territorial Park, BIOUG). Palearctic records are mostly from Europe, except for one record from Krasnoyarsk Krai in eastern Siberia (Pulawski 2025).

Lindenius montezuma (Cameron) is a southwestern species that was previously known from Oklahoma (BMEC, Kimsey in litt.), western Texas to southern California and Mexico (Krombein 1979). It was newly discovered in the Milk River Natural Area of southern Alberta in 2024.

Tachysphex paiute Pulawski was previously only known from California and Baja California (Pulawski 1988). Records from several sites in southern Alberta (PMAE) extend the known distribution north-northeast by over 1500 km.

Tachysphex scopaeus Pulawski was previously only known from Texas and Mexico (Pulawski 1988, 2025). The discoveries in southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan (PMAE, RSKM) represent a range extension of approximately 2000 km.

Solierella. Five species in this genus are recorded for the first time from Canada, the largest number of new Canadian records for any genus in this checklist. Most of them represent significant range extensions, especially S. arcuata Williams, which was previously only known from California (Krombein 1979), and S. cingulis R. Bohart, which was known from Arizona, New Mexico and Texas (Bohart 1991). Solierella species are small, rarely collected, and their ranges remain poorly documented. A good example is S. levis Williams, which was only known from the southwestern U.S. before it was first recorded from Ontario and Canada by Buck (2004). In the meantime, it has been recorded from every province west of Ontario except Manitoba (see Table 2). Furthermore, the PMAE has a specimen from St. Johns County, Florida, indicating a previously undocumented, widespread occurrence in the Nearctic region.

Spilomena clypearis N. Smith was previously only known from California and Nevada (Bohart and Smith 1995). The first Canadian records are from Alberta (PMAE) and British Columbia (SMDV), with the northernmost from Slave Lake, Alberta. Spilomena species are among the smallest apoid wasps and also poorly known.

Eucerceris montana Cresson was originally described from Montana in 1882 but had never been found there again (Scullen 1968). Subsequently, the species has been recorded from Utah, Colorado, Kansas, south into central Mexico. The recent discovery at three sites in extreme southern Alberta (PMAE) confirms that the species is still extant in the northern part of its range.

Mimesa ipai Finnamore was described from California and has apparently never been recorded outside that state. A new record from the Okanagan region in British Columbia (RBCM) represents a significant range extension.

Mimumesa sibiricana R. Bohart is a Palearctic species that ranges from western Europe to Kamchatka (Pulawski 2025). It is recorded for the first time from the New World in the Northwest Territories (Norman Wells, PMAE).

Comparison of species richness and density with the Palearctic region

Relative to other areas of the Northern Hemisphere, Canada’s apoid wasp fauna is quite comparable both in diversity and species density. Obvious and meaningful comparisons can be drawn with the fauna of Russia (Belokobylskij and Lelej 2017) and Europe (de Jong 2016) in the Palearctic (Table 4). At the genus level, the diversity of apoid wasps is roughly the same for Canada, Russia and Europe. At the species level, Europe is more diverse (726 spp.) than Russia (685 spp.) and Canada (531 spp.). In apoid wasps, species diversity generally decreases from lower to higher latitudes (e.g., see Lomholdt 1975 for Europe, and Pulawski 1988 for a Nearctic example). Since the lowest latitudes of Canada (41°41'N) and Russia (41°13'N) are similar, species diversity is expected to be comparable. The greater diversity of the European fauna is likely because the lowest latitude of mainland Europe (34°48'N) is significantly south of that of Canada and Russia. Furthermore, the European fauna is probably better known than the fauna of North America and most of Russia. With respect to species density, the apoid wasp fauna of Canada (53.2 species/million km²) has a slightly higher density than Russia (44.8). As noted previously, there are no apoid wasps recorded from Greenland and all species recorded from Alaska are also present in Canada. Therefore, the species density of all of northern North America is lower (38.1), but still relatively similar to Russia. Europe has about the same land mass as Canada (10.5 million km² versus 9.99 million km²) and has therefore a higher species density (69.1 species/million km²). At the continental level, however, North America (Canada plus the continental U.S.) has nearly the same species density (69.0 species/million km²) as Europe.

Table 4.

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Species numbers of apoid wasps compared to other regions of the northern hemisphere.

Geographic region	Described species	Described genera	Land mass (million km²)	Species/ million km²	Reference
Canada + AK + GL	531	84*	13.9	38.3	Current study
Canada	531	84*	9.99	53.2	Current study
Canada + continental U.S.	1365**	114	19.8	69.0	Pulawski (2025)
Russia	685	87	15.3	44.8	Belokobylskij and Lelej (2017)
Europe	726	82	10.5	69.1	de Jong (2016)

Nesting habits and biogeography

More than two-thirds (68.5%) of Canadian/Alaskan apoid wasps nest in the ground (364 spp.), 127 species (23.9%) nest in cavities, four (0.8%) are mud daubers (Figs 88–89), 26 (4.9%) are kleptoparasites of ground-nesting species, one (0.2%) is a koinobiont ectoparasitoid and nine (1.7%) have unknown nesting habits (see Methods: Nesting habits). Cavity nesters are underrepresented in the Prairie provinces, ranging from 16.1–20.0% of the species total. Conversely, ground nesters are overrepresented. This is to be expected since the southern, more diverse parts of the Prairie provinces are largely treeless. British Columbia’s numbers are close to the overall average, whereas all other provinces, territories and Alaska show a more or less pronounced bias towards cavity nesters. This bias is most extreme on the island of Newfoundland (71.4% of species).

Introduced species

Twenty-three species (4.3% of the fauna of the area of this checklist) have been introduced accidentally, eight of which are recorded here for the first time (indicated by CAN in boldfaced, red font in Table 5). There have been no deliberate introductions of apoid wasp to North America. The highest incidence of introductions was found in Ontario (21 spp.), followed by Quebec (15 spp.), British Columbia (10 spp.) and Nova Scotia (7 spp.). The provinces with the highest percentage of introduced species are Nova Scotia (7.6%), Quebec (7.2%), and Ontario and the island of Newfoundland (both 7.1%). The highest number of introduced species in the Canadian Prairies occurs in Alberta with five species. Alaska has only one introduced species, the Canadian Territories and Labrador none.

Table 5.

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Checklist of introduced species of apoid wasps in Canada and Alaska. See Methods for the description of acronyms. Formatting follows Table 2: records in black, regular font are published, records in red are new, records in blue are based on literature data alone. Explanations: ORIGIN – region of origin (EUR: Europe – species with west Palearctic native range; EUR+: presumably Europe – species with trans-Palearctic native range); ASI: east Asia, including east Palearctic and east Oriental, see discussion).

	CAN	AK	YT	NT	NU	BC	AB	SK	MB	ON	QC	NB	PE	NS	LB	NF	ORIGIN
FAMILY CRABRONIDAE
SUBFAMILY CRABRONINAE
Crossocerus annulipes	CAN	–	–	–	–	BC	AB	SK	MB	ON	QC	NB	PE	NS	–	–	EUR+
Crossocerus capitosus	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	ON	–	–	–	–	–	–	EUR+
Crossocerus binotatus	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	QC	–	–	–	–	–	EUR+
Ectemnius cephalotes	CAN	AK	–	–	–	BC	AB	–	MB	ON	QC	NB	PE	NS	–	NF	EUR+
Rhopalum gracile	CAN	–	–	–	–	BC	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	ASI?
SUBFAMILY MISCOPHINAE
Miscophus ater	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	ON	–	–	–	–	–	–	EUR+
SUBFAMILY OXYBELINAE
Oxybelus bipunctatus	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	MB	ON	QC	NB	–	NS	–	–	EUR+
SUBFAMILY TRYPOXYLINAE
Pison koreense	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	ON	–	–	–	–	–	–	ASI
Trypoxylon attenuatum	CAN	–	–	–	–	BC	–	–	–	ON	QC	–	–	–	–	–	EUR
Trypoxylon clavicerum	CAN	–	–	–	–	BC	–	–	–	ON	QC	–	–	–	–	–	EUR+
Trypoxylon figulus	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	ON	QC	–	–	–	–	–	EUR+
Trypoxylon kolazyi	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	ON	–	–	–	–	–	–	EUR
FAMILY PEMPHREDONIDAE
SUBFAMILY PEMPHREDONINAE
Diodontus minutus	CAN	–	–	–	–	BC	AB	SK	MB	ON	QC	–	–	–	–	–	EUR+
Passaloecus eremita	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	ON	QC	–	–	–	–	–	EUR
Passaloecus gracilis	CAN	–	–	–	–	BC	AB	–	–	ON	QC	–	–	–	–	–	EUR
Passaloecus singularis	CAN	–	–	–	–	BC	–	–	–	ON	QC	NB	–	NS	–	NF	EUR+
Pemphredon lethifer	CAN	–	–	–	–	BC	AB	–	–	ON	QC	NB	PE	NS	–	NF	EUR+
Pemphredon morio	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	ON	–	–	–	NS	–	–	EUR+
Pemphredon mortifer	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	ON	QC	–	–	–	–	–	EUR+
SUBFAMILY SPILOMENINAE
Spilomena troglodytes	CAN	–	–	–	–	BC	–	–	–	ON	QC	–	–	–	–	–	ASI?
FAMILY PSENIDAE
Psenulus laevigatus	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	ON	–	–	–	–	–	–	EUR+
Psenulus schencki	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	ON	–	–	–	–	–	–	EUR
FAMILY SPHECIDAE
Sceliphron curvatum	CAN	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	ON	QC	–	–	NS	–	–	ASI
TOTAL (introduced)	23	1	0	0	0	10	5	2	4	21	15	5	3	7	0	3
% introduced	4.3	1.6	0.0	0.0	0.0	3.4	1.5	0.8	2.1	7.2	7.2	4.2	5.5	7.6	0.0	7.1
TOTAL (introduced & native)	531	63	76	76	3	292	326	248	195	294	209	118	55	92	20	42

Most of the introduced species (21 spp., Table 5) are of Palearctic origin, one is Oriental (Sceliphron curvatum), and one is of uncertain origin (see below). The majority of Palearctic introductions is thought to be of European origin because the species were first introduced to eastern North America. It should be noted, however, that the majority of species of putative European origin have vast Palearctic ranges that attain the Pacific coast in the east (range information based on Belokobylskij and Lelej 2017). The only species restricted to the western Palearctic are Trypoxylon attenuatum F. Smith, T. kolazyi Kohl, Passaloecus eremita, P. gracilis (Curtis) and Psenulus schencki (Tournier). Pison koreense Radoszkowski was introduced from east Asia, either from the Palearctic or the Oriental part. It was likely transported to the eastern U.S. in nests attached to military equipment that returned from Asia during or shortly after World War II (Krombein 1958). Rhopalum gracile ranges across the Palearctic but it likely originated from the eastern Palearctic because it was introduced to British Columbia (Ratzlaff et al. 2016). The origin of Spilomena troglodytes is unclear. It ranges across the Palearctic and was first recorded from Ontario in 2004 (Buck et al. 2006). However, we subsequently discovered four additional specimens from the Victoria area in southern British Columbia in the collection of the Royal Alberta Museum. They date as far back as 1984, indicating that the species was more likely introduced from the east than the west Palearctic. Whether the BC specimens represent the first area of introduction remains uncertain due to the very small body size and poor detectability of this species. The only species of Oriental origin is Sceliphron curvatum. However, it was likely introduced from Europe where it arrived roughly three decades before reaching North America (first record from Austria in 1979: van der Vecht 1984). As most other introduced species, it first arrived in eastern North America (exceptions mentioned above).

There is a significant correlation between the time since introduction and the size of the present-day range in North America (Table 6). Ectemnius cephalotes is the first documented introduction to Canada (before 1882, see Table 6). It also has the largest present-day range, which includes almost all Canadian provinces, as well as Alaska (first record from 2021, iNaturalist 2021n). Crossocerus annulipes (Lepeletier and Brullé), which was introduced before 1921 has a similarly large range. A striking exception is Trypoxylon figulus (Linnaeus), which is only known from a relatively small area in eastern Ontario and Quebec, despite being one of the first species that was introduced to Canada (Pulawski 1984). One species might have been extirpated: T. kolazyi has not been collected since 1977 (Buck 2004). Whether this has to do with the spread of a closely related, now common, introduced species, T. clavicerum Lepeletier and Serville, is unknown. In a similar case, collection data from the University of Guelph show that Ontario populations of Ancistrocerus parietum (Linnaeus), a cavity-nesting, introduced mason wasp, crashed at the same time when the introduced A. gazella (Panzer), moved into southern Ontario. In Ontario, the former is currently only known from a few marginal locations whereas A. gazella is common and widespread.

Table 6.

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Chronological introduction history of apoid wasps in Canada and Alaska, including nest types and hosts. Explanations: ORIG. – region of origin (EUR: Europe, species with west Palearctic native range; EUR+: presumably Europe, species with trans-Palearctic native range; ASI: east Asia, including east Palearctic and east Oriental, see discussion); OCC. (Occurrence) – number of political regions (provinces + territories + Alaska) where each species has been recorded from (compare to Table 5); FIRST REC. – year in which the first known specimen was collected in North America, or year of publication (denoted by *) of the first record if year of collection is unknown; FIRST FROM – province or state where the species was first collected (acronyms of Canadian provinces as in Tables 1–3 and 5; MA: Massachusetts, NJ: New Jersey, NY: New York, VA: Virginia, e.: eastern); DISTR. (Distribution type, as defined in Methods) – T: transcontinental, E: eastern, W: western, E/W: disjunct eastern/western; NEST – cavity: cavity nesters, ground: ground nesters, mud: mud daubers; REFERENCE/DEPOSITORY – references for first records or acronyms of depositories (see Methods).

SPECIES	ORIG.	OCC.	FIRST REC.	FIRST FROM	DISTR.	NEST	HOST GROUP	REFERENCE /DEPOSITORY
Ectemnius cephalotes	EUR+	10	1882*	QC	T	cavity	Diptera	Provancher 1882 (as Crabro aciculatus)
Trypoxylon figulus	EUR+	2	1891*	CAN, MA	E	cavity	Araneae	Fox 1891 (as Trypoxylon apicalis)
Crossocerus annulipes	EUR+	9	1921*	MA	T	cavity	Homoptera	Banks 1921 (as Blepharipus parkeri)
Passaloecus singularis	EUR+	6	1921	MA	E	cavity	Aphididae	Krombein 1938 (as Passaloecus gertrudis)
Diodontus minutus	EUR+	6	1934	NY	T	ground	Aphididae	Krombein 1939 (as Xylocelia franclemonti)
Oxybelus bipunctatus	EUR+	5	1935	NJ	E	ground	Diptera	Kurczewski 1998
Passaloecus gracilis	EUR	4	1941	VA	E/W	cavity	Aphididae	Krombein 1961 (as Passaloecus turionum)
Trypoxylon clavicerum	EUR+	3	1949	MI	E/W	cavity	Araneae	Coville 1984
Trypoxylon kolazyi	EUR	1	1952	ON	E	cavity	Araneae	Buck 2004
Pison koreense	ASI	1	1954	VA	E	mud	Araneae	Krombein 1958
Pemphredon lethifer	EUR+	8	1959*	ON, e. U.S.	E/W	cavity	Aphididae	Krombein 1959
Trypoxylon attenuatum	EUR	3	1960	ON	E/W	cavity	Araneae	Buck 2004
Spilomena troglodytes	ASI?	3	1973	BC	E/W	cavity	Thysanoptera	CNC, examined
Pemphredon mortifer	EUR+	2	1974	ON	E	cavity	Aphididae	DEBU, examined
Pemphredon morio	EUR+	2	2001	ON	E	cavity	Aphididae	Buck 2004
Miscophus ater	EUR+	1	2004	ON	E	ground	Araneae	DEBU, examined
Passaloecus eremita	EUR	2	2010	ON	E	cavity	Aphididae	BOLD 2011
Psenulus schencki	EUR	1	2013	ON	E	cavity	Homoptera	BIOUG, examined
Sceliphron curvatum	ASI	3	2013	QC	E	mud	Araneae	BugGuide 2013e
Crossocerus capitosus	EUR+	1	2014	ON	E	cavity	Diptera	BIOUG, examined
Rhopalum gracile	ASI?	1	2015	BC	W	cavity	Diptera / Psocoptera	Ratzlaff et al. 2016
Psenulus laevigatus	EUR+	1	2015	ON	E	cavity	Homoptera	BIOUG, examined
Crossocerus binotatus	EUR+	1	2018	QC	E	cavity	Diptera	BugGuide 2018

DNA barcoding data (BOLD 2024c) confirm that some species that earlier authors (e.g., Krombein 1951) tentatively considered adventive in North America are in fact introductions rather than naturally occurring Holarctic species. For example, Nearctic and Palearctic populations of both Ectemnius cephalotes and Crossocerus annulipes show virtually no genetic divergence and form mixed clades on COI trees. The chronicle of introduction events also shows that the pace of introductions to Canada has increased in recent decades. Nine of the 23 introduced species (39%) in Table 6 were first detected after 2000. By comparison, both the first and the second half of the twentieth century saw only six introductions each.

As was already reported for introduced species in Ontario (Buck 2005), cavity nesters are strongly overrepresented within the suite of species introduced to North America. Even though cavity nesters only make up 22% of native species in the area of the checklist, they include 78% of introduced species. The same is true for species that construct mud nests. There are only two native mud daubers in Canada (0.4% of the fauna), matched by two introduced species (9% of introduced species). The reason for these skewed ratios is that accidental transplantation of nests is the most likely mode of introduction in solitary aculeate wasps (Buck 2005). Adult wasps, on the other hand, are unlikely to survive long voyages. Cavity nests and mud nests can easily be transported between continents with lumber, building materials, wooden pallets, other shipped goods or attached to equipment. Topsoil, on the other hand is rarely shipped, and thus ground-nesting species are far less likely to be transported between continents. For instance, Kurczewski (1998) proposed that Oxybelus bipunctatus Olivier, a ground-nesting species that was introduced from Europe, likely arrived in North America with molding sand or in ship ballast. This would likely also be true for Diodontus minutus (Fabricius) (Fig. 61), the only other common, introduced, ground-nesting species in North America, which has never been explicitly recognized as introduced. It was first recorded from North America as a species new to science (Xylocelia franclemonti Krombein), with records from New York and Rhode Island (Krombein 1939). Subsequently, it was discovered in several other states in the northeastern U.S. (Krombein 1951, 1979). Half a century after its description, Eighme (1989) synonymized D. franclemonti with the Palearctic D. minutus, without commenting on its occurrence status in North America. By then, the species had spread to Washington State and California on the other side of the continent. Its advance in Alberta can be reconstructed through specimens at the Royal Alberta Museum. The species was first collected in extreme southern Alberta (Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park) in 1982, but it was notably absent (unlike other Diodontus species) in collections taken elsewhere in Alberta before 2000. From 2009 to the present, however, we found D. minutus to be nearly ubiquitous in the southern half of the province. Within its present range, it now appears to be the most common introduced apoid wasp species in Canada, albeit easily overlooked due to its small size. Diodontus species can be considered beneficial because their hosts are aphids, but, as PMAE collection data for Alberta suggests, the introduction of D. minutus might have contributed to a decline of the native species D. americanus Packard in that province.

Another class of introductions involves species that have been transplanted within the Nearctic region by human activity. This is the case for many of the European introductions with disjunct eastern Canadian/British Columbian distributions as well as some native Nearctic species such as Isodontia mexicana (Fig. 86) on the Pacific Coast. The sudden appearance of the latter from the late 2000s to the late 2010s in California (first record 2007, BugGuide 2010), Oregon (first record 2014, iNaturalist 2018b), Washington (first record 2018, iNaturalist 2018c) and British Columbia (first record 2018, iNaturalist 2018d) likely started with one or more accidental introductions from the eastern part of the range. The rapid spread within its western range was probably also aided by human activity. Conversely, Isodontia elegans (F. Smith), a western species, has been introduced to eastern North America, including southern Ontario (Buck et al. 2006).

From a North American perspective, the focus of attention concerning accidental introductions is usually on species that arrive here from other biogeographic regions. However, it is important to point out that a number of Nearctic species have likewise been exported to other biogeographic regions, even though this number is much smaller than the number of introductions to North America. Among the species in this checklist, the most successful tramp species is Sceliphron caementarium (Figs 83, 89). It has been introduced to Europe, Madeira, Japan, Hawaii, South America (Pulawski 2025), and, according to more recent citizen science observations, to Bermuda (iNaturalist 2021m), the Azores (iNaturalist 2022l), the Canary Islands (iNaturalist 2020d), Oman (iNaturalist 2020s), South Korea (iNaturalist 2016), Australia (iNaturalist 2022k), New Caledonia (iNaturalist 2019k) and Vanuatu (iNaturalist 2023k). Other species that originated from the Nearctic include Chalybion californicum (de Saussure) (Fig. 82) (introduced to Bermuda, Peru, Hawaii), Isodontia mexicana (Europe, Hawaii) (Fig. 86), Prionyx thomae (Hawaii), Solierella peckhami (Ashmead) (Hawaii, Marshall Islands), Tachysphex apicalis Fox (Hawaii) and Dryudella picta (Kohl) (Hawaii) (Pulawski 2025). Surprisingly, this list includes fewer cavity nesters than ground-nesters (2 as opposed to 3 spp.), contrary to introduction patterns from the Palearctic to the Nearctic where cavity nesters predominate (see discussion above).

Ecological impact of introductions

So far none of the introduced species have shown any invasive tendencies. Seven of them provision their nests with aphids (all Pemphredonidae species) and can therefore be considered beneficial. The other species mostly have spider, Diptera and Homoptera hosts (see Table 6). With one exception (Diodontus minutus, Pemphredonidae), none of the introduced species have become very common. Furthermore, there is little indication that introduced species have displaced native species. Besides the Diodontus example (see previous section), the only possible exception might be Trypoxylon attenuatum F. Smith, which is now the most common slender-bodied species of the T. figulus species group in southern Ontario. Based on collection data at the University of Guelph, the similar, native T. pennsylvanicum de Saussure seems to have declined after the arrival of T. attenuatum. It used to be a fairly common species but is now relatively rarely collected. However, it is unclear whether there is a causal connection between the population changes of both species. In other groups of aculeate wasps, we know of a few cases in which the arrival of an introduced species has had a demonstrable negative impact on closely related native species. This is well documented in the European Paper Wasp, Polistes dominula (Christ) and the native Northern Paper Wasp, P. fuscatus (Fabricius) (Liebert et al. 2006). It is believed that greater reproductive potential combined with initial liberation from parasites and parasitoids gave P. dominula a competitive advantage over its native Nearctic counterpart (Miller et al. 2013). So far, the only aculeate wasp species that have been reported as invasive involve social vespids. They include about half a dozen species of paper wasps (Polistes Latreille), yellowjackets (Vespula Thomson) and hornets (Vespa Linnaeus) worldwide (Beggs et al. 2011).

Faunal change

Unlike their close relatives, the bees, apoid wasps have not been the subject of many studies concerning faunal change. Unfortunately, the scarcity of historical and present-day data, especially for western Canada, limits our ability to document faunal change. Our analysis is therefore limited to eastern Canada. Of the 20 new Canadian records that were found in the eastern provinces, eight were due to introductions from other biogeographic regions (see below under Introduced species), one was previously misidentified (Pemphredon rugifer sensu Dollfuss 1995 = P. bipartior Fox, sp. restit., in part), and five involve isolated, older records that were only identified recently (Ammoplanus unami Pate, Stigmus fulvicornis Rohwer, S. inordinatus universitatis Rohwer, Cerceris compar Cresson, Mimumesa johnsoni (Viereck)). The remaining six species (Psammaletes mexicanus (Cameron), Glenostictia pictifrons (F. Smith), Tachytes mergus Fox, T. obductus Fox, Larra analis Fabricius and Pseneo longiventris (Cameron)) represent more recent records from one or two, mostly peripheral localities, based on very few specimens or observations. We therefore have insufficient evidence to suggest that any of these species have recently expanded their ranges into Canada. Nonetheless, we can detect obvious range expansions within eastern Canada for several common species. Reliable baseline data for these species exists for both Ontario and Quebec (Finnamore 1983; Buck 2004). New data from iNaturalist provides evidence that at least a dozen species have significantly increased their ranges over the last ten years or so. The most prominent examples are Cerceris insolita Cresson, Sphex pensylvanicus Linnaeus (Fig. 87), Ammophila procera Dahlbom, Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus (Say) (Fig. 15), Cerceris fumipennis Say, Sphex ichneumoneus, Isodontia mexicana (Fig. 86), Philanthus gibbosus (Fabricius), Eremnophila aureonotata (Cameron) (Fig. 78) and Prionyx atratus (Lepeletier). Table 7 shows how far these species have advanced northeastward in southern Ontario and southern Quebec. The greatest range expansions are documented in Cerceris insolita (850 km) and Sphex pensylvanicus (810 km). Three other species (Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus, Cerceris fumipennis and Ammophila pictipennis Walsh) had not previously been found in Quebec but are now well-established there. Based on iNaturalist data, apparent northward range expansions have also occurred in the Canadian Maritimes (see Table 2 for references), namely in Cerceris atramontensis Banks, C. fumipennis, Philanthus gibbosus, P. ventilabris Fabricius, Ammophila fernaldi (Murray), A. pictipennis, A. procera, Eremnophila aureonotata, Prionyx parkeri R. Bohart & Menke (Fig. 85), Isodontia mexicana, Sphex ichneumoneus (Lewis 2020) and S. pensylvanicus (Lewis 2020). All twelve species are newly recorded from New Brunswick. Cerceris atramontensis, Eremnophila aureonotata and Isodontia mexicana are also new to both Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. It is unlikely that these conspicuous, easily observed species have merely been overlooked in the past.

Table 7.

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Notable recent northeastward range expansions of apoid wasps in Ontario and Quebec, ordered by magnitude. Former distributions based on literature data; range expansions are as documented by verified observations on iNaturalist. Explanations: Prov (Province): ON: Ontario, QC: Quebec; Former range limit – former northeastern limit (E: east; Co.: County); Range limit in 2024 – current northeastern limit; Year – year specimen was collected or observed; Source – publication or website (iNat: iNaturalist).

Species	Distance		Baseline data				Range expansion
Species	(km)	Prov	Former range limit	Year	Source	Prov	Range limit in 2024	Year	Source
Cerceris insolita	850	ON	Windsor	2002	Buck 2004	QC	Longeuil	2024	iNat 2024g
Sphex pensylvanicus	810	ON	Springwater Prov. Park*	2002	Buck 2004	QC	Saint-Jean-Port-Joli	2023	iNat 2024c
Ammophila procera	420	QC	Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu	?	Finnamore 1983	QC	Tadoussac	2017	iNat 2019h
Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus	380	ON	Perth Road, Frontenac Co.	1957	Buck 2004	QC	Trois-Rivières	2021	iNat 2021k
Cerceris fumipennis	360	ON	Newboro, Leeds & Grenville Co.	2002	Buck 2004	QC	Trois-Rivières	2021	iNat 2021l
Sphex ichneumoneus	310	QC	E of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu	?	Finnamore 1983	QC	Saint-Urbain, Charlevoix	2022	iNat 2022o
Isodontia mexicana	290	QC	Rigaud	?	Finnamore 1983	QC	Québec City	2022	iNat 2023j
Philanthus gibbosus	270	QC	Gatineau	?	Finnamore 1983	QC	Trois-Rivières	2022	iNat 2022p
Eremnophila aureonotata	140	QC	Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu	?	Finnamore 1983	QC	Trois-Rivières	2020	iNat 2020r
Prionyx atratus	120	QC	Montréal	?	Finnamore 1983	QC	Trois-Rivières	2022	iNat 2022n

The reasons for these range expansions have not been investigated. However, it seems likely that warming of the climate plays an important role. As mentioned previously, apoid wasps are most diverse in warmer climates, both humid and arid (Bohart and Menke 1976; Krombein 1979), with northern distributions of most species apparently limited by cold temperatures. Therefore, rising average temperatures likely create more favorable conditions for a large number of species. Since most apoid wasps, especially larger species, are good fliers they are very capable of dispersing to new areas, thus taking advantage of changing environmental conditions (e.g., Evans 1974). Many species, especially ground nesters, prefer habitats that are subject to successional changes (e.g., see Onuferko et al. 2023). The ability to effectively colonize newly available sites is a requirement to their survival.

Climate change has also been implied as a major cause of range changes in other Apoidea, especially bumble bees (Kerr et al. 2015; Soroye et al. 2020). Interestingly, the impact on Bombus Latreille species has been varied. While a few have expanded their ranges (e.g., Bombus impatiens Cresson, see Palmier and Sheffield 2019) a much larger number have experienced declines as they are seemingly unable to shift their ranges northward (Kerr et al. 2015). We have not observed declines of northern apoid wasp species in southern Canada but this could be due to a lack of data since most species are not as readily observed as bumble bees. It should be noted, however, that the reasons for bumble bee decline are diverse and remain unknown or speculative in many cases (Colla and Packer 2008; Cameron et al. 2011; Colla et al. 2012). Some of the contributing factors are inapplicable to apoid wasps, such as Bombus-specific diseases (Cameron et al. 2011). Decline has also been observed in some species of bees other than Bombus (e.g., see examples in Veit et al. 2022), but these changes are probably less well documented. Overall, the outlook for apoid wasp species in Canada appears favorable. We expect that more species will spread northward into Canada increasing the Canadian fauna, and many species that are already present will expand their ranges. Since apoid wasps like other aculeate wasps provide regulatory ecosystem services through “predation” (more precisely: koinobiont parasitoidism) and pollination (Brock et al. 2021) this is not an unwelcome trend. The rapidity with which some of these changes are happening underlines the importance of continued faunistic and biogeographic research.

Citizen science

Citizen science observations have become an important and readily available source of data for many groups of organisms (e.g., Mesaglio et al. 2021, 2023; White et al. 2023). This is certainly also the case for many aculeate wasps, such as apoid wasps. On the citizen science platform iNaturalist alone, the number of apoid wasp observations for Canada and Alaska surpassed 37,000 in 2024 (iNaturalist 2025). Almost two-thirds (62%) of them were made in Ontario, revealing a strongly skewed level of involvement between political regions. The number of observations submitted on a yearly basis averaged around 6,895 between 2021 and 2024 and might still be increasing (Fig. 91). As of December 2024, 25,145 observations (68%) were identified to species level, documenting 229 species. This includes a surprising 43% of the total number of species known from the area of the checklist. From 2019 to 2024, an average of 23 new species were newly identified on the platform each year (Fig. 91). Due to the fact that a large number of identifications were made by taxonomic experts (including, amongst others, the senior author) and knowledgeable naturalists (see iNaturalist 2024e) the accuracy of identifications in this group is generally high. Therefore, the data are highly relevant to this study.

Figure 91.

Annual increase of verifiable observations and numbers of species of apoid wasps observed in Canada and Alaska on the citizen science platform iNaturalist from 2014 to 2024 (Source: iNaturalist 2025). Explanations: Y axis (left) and gridlines – number of observations; Y axis (right) – number of species. Years denote when observations were made, not when they were submitted to the website or identified to species. According to iNaturalist’s terminology, verifiable observations include both “research grade” and non-research grade observations.

The concrete contribution of iNaturalist and BugGuide to the present checklist consists of 1) observations that represent new records, 2) observations in regions for which no museum vouchers exist, 3) documentation of faunal change, both in native and introduced species and 4) images of 49 species of wasps in the plate series (Figs 2–90, in part). Specifically, citizen science contributed four new Canadian species records (see below, 5.7% of total) and 70 regional records (9.9% of total) to the checklist (see Table 2. Note: in four cases, observers subsequently sent specimens to the senior author for identification; these are referenced in the table by museum depository, not by webpage). Citizen science observations contributed over-proportionally in the Canadian Maritime provinces, where there has been a relative lack of academic research. Some of the new records have been surprising and noteworthy, such as the first Canadian records of Tachytes obductus and T. mergus from Ontario (iNaturalist 2020k, l), and the discovery of Eucerceris zonata (Say) (Fig. 69) in Quebec, which was feared to be extirpated in Ontario (Leclerc et al. in press). BugGuide provided the first records of two out of six species that were newly introduced to Canada after 2010, namely Sceliphron curvatum and Crossocerus binotatus (Table 6). In addition, iNaturalist and BugGuide observations have documented the spread of ten species within Canada (Table 7), contributed 13 new records of introduced species outside the area of the checklist (see under Introduced species) and have provided seven notable local records of rare species in urban areas (see below).

Citizen science observations often take place in or near urban centres, which presents both opportunities and disadvantages (Callaghan et al. 2020). One of the advantages is the early detection of newly introduced species (see Introduced species, above). Besides that, it has also revealed a surprisingly high diversity of apoid wasp species in urban centres such as Toronto. As of December 2024, the city had 97 identified species on iNaturalist, including two new Canadian records (Tachytes mergus, T. obductus, mentioned above) and several rare species, such as Bembix pallidipicta F. Smith (iNaturalist 2020m) (Fig. 14), Lestiphorus cockerelli (Rohwer) (iNaturalist 2020n) (Fig. 23), Stictiella emarginata (Cresson) (iNaturalist 2020o) (Fig. 30), Nysson plagiatus Cresson (iNaturalist 2018a), Tachysphex pechumani Krombein (iNaturalist 2021j), Tachytes intermedius (Viereck) (iNaturalist 2020p), and Philanthus sanbornii Cresson (iNaturalist 2020q). Remarkably, Stictiella emarginata had last been collected in Toronto in 1918 (Buck 2004) and was previously only known from one extant locality in Ontario (Kurczewski and Boyle 2006). Citizen science records like these can be of great value to conservation planners.

We would like to encourage naturalists to continue and intensify their exploration of aculeate wasps. We also want to encourage colleagues and taxonomic experts to participate in the identification of citizen science observations, an endeavour that pays off in many different ways (Callaghan et al. 2022).

DNA barcoding

So far, the contribution of DNA barcoding to Nearctic apoid wasp taxonomy has been minimal. Overall, taxonomic research on Nearctic apoid wasps entered into a lull after an era of monumental contributions by Bohart, Menke, Krombein, Pulawski, Leclercq and others (see References section). Of the 84 genera in the area of this checklist, only eight have been reviewed after 2000 (see Table 2), and no major taxonomic revisionary work has been conducted on any Nearctic genus since then. The eight genera that have recently been reviewed (Buck 2007; Holliday and Coelho 2006; Leclercq 2002, 2012; Menke 2020; Smith 2009, 2010, 2019) are for the most part marginally distributed in Canada, including a mere 9.0% (48 spp.) of the total fauna. Up to the present, there has been no study on Nearctic apoid wasps that used DNA barcoding as a critical tool to test morphological species concepts or to uncover cryptic species diversity. DNA barcodes of Nearctic apoid wasps have largely been sampled with the goal of building comprehensive libraries (e.g., through biodiversity field campaigns and by harvesting tissue from existing museum specimens, see various projects in the Barcode of Life Data System: BOLD 2024c), rather than in a targeted manner with specific taxonomic research objectives in mind. Based on experiences with other groups of aculeate Hymenoptera (Rehan and Sheffield 2011; Buck et al. 2012; Gibbs et al. 2013; González-Vaquero et al. 2016) and apoid wasps in other biogeographic regions (e.g., Schmid-Egger et al. 2018) there can be no doubt about the usefulness of DNA barcoding data for taxonomic research in a Nearctic context. Despite the solid taxonomic framework that was laid by previous research there is still a significant need for detailed studies of many genera that contain cryptic species complexes or species with doubtful Holarctic distributions (see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes). Currently available sequences on BOLD have helped to shed light on a number of problem taxa that were studied in the context of this checklist (see Appendix 1: Taxonomy notes). Not surprisingly, the library of apoid wasp DNA barcodes still has large gaps. Bennett et al. (2019) assessed DNA barcode data of Canadian Hymenoptera from the BOLD database (Ratnasingham and Hebert 2007). Using the Barcode Index Number (BIN) criterion of Ratnasingham and Hebert (2013) postulating that a 2% divergence in the DNA barcode region of cytochrome oxidase I (COI) is indicative of species differences, Bennett et al. (2019) estimated that there were 362 species of apoid wasps collected in Canada in the BOLD database. Compared to the number of species recorded in Canada in their study (497), this represents 72.8% of the described, recorded species in Canada at that time. This can only be a rough estimate, however, since divergence thresholds or BINs alone have proven inadequate for species delimitation in several other groups of aculeates (e.g., Polistes Latreille: Buck et al. 2012; Lasioglossum Curtis: Gibbs 2018) and other groups of insects (Diptera: Meier et al. 2006; Lepidoptera: Burns et al. 2007).

Acknowledgements

This checklist builds on the contributions of many individuals and institutions which we acknowledge with great gratitude. We would like to thank John S. Ascher and Wojciech Pulawski for their very helpful and constructive reviews of the manuscript and Michael Ohl for his generous support of the Hymenoptera of Canada, Alaska and Greenland Checklist series as Editor-in-Chief. A substantial number of new provincial records were contributed through the work of previous PMAE curator Albert Finnamore. Furthermore, we would like to thank the following colleagues for sharing new species records, loaning or donating specimens to the PMAE, making pictures of museum specimens available to us, and/or providing access to their collections: Cory Sheffield (RSKM), Karen Needham (SMDV), Claudia Copley and Joel Gibson (RBCM), Jason Gibbs (WRME), Derek Sikes (UAM), Danny Shpeley, Victor Shegelski and Felix Sperling (UASM), David Langor and Greg Pohl (NOFC), Gerald Hilchie (Edmonton, Alberta), Steve Paiero and Steve Marshall (DEBU), Stéphanie Boucher (LEMQ), Allison Brown and Spencer Monckton (BIOUG), André-Philippe Drapeau Picard (IMQC), Randy Mooi (MMMN), Kim Adams and Melissa Fierke (SUNY), Troy Kimoto (Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Burnaby, British Columbia), Lincoln Best (Corvallis, Oregon), Denis Doucet (Sussex Corner, New Brunswick), Sara Simpkins (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), Owen Strickland (Toronto, Ontario) and Riley Walsh (Toronto, Ontario). The following colleagues kindly sent type specimens, pictures of type specimens and/or other reference material that helped to clarify the identity of problematic species: Jason Weintraub (ANSP), Seán Brady (USNM), M.J. Paulsen (UNSM), Lynn Kimsey (BMEC), Crystal Maier (MCZC), Zachary Falin and Rachel Osborn (SEMC), Joseph Moisan-De Serres (ULQC), and Taro Eldredge (UMMZ). Christian Schmid-Egger (Berlin, Germany) is thanked for helping to clarify the identity of two introduced Palearctic species. John S. Ascher (National University of Singapore, Singapore) provided the largest number of Canadian/Alaskan apoid wasp identifications on iNaturalist, thus significantly improving the overall quality of the data set, especially for underexplored areas such as the Canadian Territories and Maritime Provinces. Other top identifiers of the iNaturalist dataset who added identifications to more than 2% of the observations were (usernames in angle brackets): Susanna Heideman <susanna_h>, Brian Dagley <bdagley>, Riley Walsh <rileywalsh>, Juan Cepeda Espinosa <juan_sphex>, Milo van Loon <bullema>, Julian Fuchs <jfmantis> and Chris Ratzlaff <cratzlaff> (iNaturalist 2024e). Diana Barnes (retired, CNC), Eric Maw (retired, CNC) and many summer students helped compile and sort data in the CNC and the literature over the past decade. Many thanks also go to Amber Bass (CNC) for checking data and references, formatting text, arranging the plates, facilitating loans of specimens and transforming and uploading the dataset to the Canadensys website. The following photographers kindly granted permission to use their images in the plate series (iNaturalist usernames in angle brackets, where applicable): Steve Marshall, Carroll Perkins <carrollperkins>, Denis Doucet <nbdragonflyguy>, Terry Thormin, Léo-Guy de Repentigny <leoguy>, Bob Noble <bob15noble>, Deanna Dodgson <deannadodgson>, Lisa Hill <watercolorist>, Louise Woodrich <louiseinva>, Alice Abela <alice_abela>, Dave Beadle <dbeadle>, Jillian Cowles <jcowles>, Eric Eaton <bug_eric>, Julian Fuchs <jfmantis>, Heather Holm <heatherholm>, Clarence Holmes <cholmesphoto>, Daniel Horner, Steve Kerr <steve_kerr), Michael King <mhking>, Will Kuhn <willkuhn>, Donna Lucas <donnalucas>, Stephen Mirick <stevemirick>, Tom Murray, Elena Oey <u_phantasticus>, Ian Routley <apples58>, Owen Strickland <owenstrickland>, and Riley Walsh <rileywalsh>. Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development and Parks Canada are thanked for issuing collecting and research permits to the senior author for protected areas in Alberta. Funding to AMRB was provided by internal grants from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

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iNaturalist (2018b) Isodontia mexicana [Oregon, Mark Nikas <elepaio>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/18999534 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2018c) Isodontia mexicana [Washington, <jenstr>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/15403057 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2018d) Isodontia mexicana [British Columbia, <y-zhou>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/14650065 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2019a) Bicyrtes ventralis [New Brunswick, Jimmy Dee <jdee>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/30775044 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2019b) Crossocerus barbipes [New Brunswick, Denis Doucet <nbdragonflyguy>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37527564 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2019c) Ectemnius cephalotes [New Brunswick, Denis Doucet <nbdragonflyguy>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/32665516 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2019d) Ectemnius cephalotes [Newfoundland, <c704938>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/31846565 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2019e) Ectemnius trifasciatus [New Brunswick, Denis Doucet <nbdragonflyguy>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/30531432 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2019f) Larropsis distincta [New Brunswick, Syd Cannings <sydcannings>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/31031040 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2019g) Ammophila procera [New Brunswick, Denis Doucet <nbdragonflyguy>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20968799 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2019h) Ammophila procera [Quebec, David Turgeon <david_turgeon>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/19737896 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2019i) Eremnophila aureonotata [New Brunswick, Denis Doucet <nbdragonflyguy>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/8069419 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2019j) Eremnophila aureonotata [Prince Edward Island, Robert W. Harding <bobharding>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/29879510 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2019k) Sceliphron caementarium [New Caledonia, <juju98>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/36388191 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020a) Hoplisoides nebulosus [Nova Scotia, Nick Belliveau <nickbelliveau>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/57457667 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020b) Foxia sp. [British Columbia, Gord Hutchings <gordhutchings>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/56875476 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020c) Crossocerus nitidiventris [New Brunswick, Gail Taylor <nubiti>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/51545909 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020d) Sceliphron caementarium [Canary Islands, <gabohq>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37636096 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020e) Ectemnius stirpicola [Nova Scotia, David McCorquodale <dbmcc09>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/54109356 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020f) Cerceris clypeata [Quebec, Alain Hogue <alainhogue>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/61165348 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020g) Cerceris fumipennis [Quebec, <thejasperpatch>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/54737365 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020h) Philanthus ventilabris [New Brunswick, Denis Doucet <nbdragonflyguy>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/55897732 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020i) Prionyx parkeri [Quebec, Suzanne Labbé <suelabbe>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49877892 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020j) Isodontia mexicana [New Brunswick, Denis Doucet <nbdragonflyguy>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/58138410 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020k) Tachytes mergus [Ontario, Owen Strickland <owenstrickland>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/56277584 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020l) Tachytes obductus [Ontario, Owen Strickland <owenstrickland>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/54689518 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020m) Bembix pallidipicta [Ontario, Owen Strickland <owenstrickland>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/54576145 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020n) Lestiphorus cockerelli [Ontario, Riley Walsh <rileywalsh>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/56371326 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020o) Stictiella emarginata [Ontario, Dave Beadle <dbeadle>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/39329742 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020p) Tachytes intermedius [Ontario, Owen Strickland <owenstrickland>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/54126827 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020q) Philanthus sanbornii [Ontario, Riley Walsh <rileywalsh>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/51649920 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020r) Eremnophila aureonotata [Quebec, Mathis Boisvert <mathisb21>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/53265173 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2020s) Sceliphron caementarium [Oman, <suvijohn>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47609817 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2021a) Argogorytes nigrifrons [Prince Edward Island, Barry Cottam <pei-ott>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/102383030 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2021b) Crossocerus maculipennis [Yukon Territory, Evan Warren <ewren>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/88088494 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2021c) Ectemnius cephalotes [Nova Scotia, <ipat>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/87471189 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2021d) Larropsis distincta [Nova Scotia, <grivesolitaire>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/89582896 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2021e) Trypoxylon lactitarse [Quebec, Frederic Desmeules <freduchini>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/91175927 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2021f) Cerceris atramontensis [Prince Edward Island, Barry Cottam <pei-ott>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/102383021 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2021g) Ammophila pictipennis [New Brunswick, Denis Doucet <nbdragonflyguy>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/94641365 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2021h) Nysson lateralis [British Columbia, Jason Headley <jasonheadley>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/101385829 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2021i) Isodontia mexicana [Nova Scotia, <ipat>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/89718617 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2021j) Tachysphex pechumani [Ontario, Riley Walsh <rileywalsh>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/83355948 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2021k) Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus [Quebec, Alain Maire <ama75>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/89409496 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2021l) Cerceris fumipennis [Quebec, Alain Maire <ama75>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/87790962 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2021m) Sceliphron caementarium [Bermuda, Luke Foster <lukef2006>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/89381744 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2021n) Ectemnius cephalotes [Alaska, Matt Muir <muir>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/89292133 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2022a) Astata unicolor [New Brunswick, Lena Dietz Chiasson <lenachiasson>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/137703453 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2022b) Bembix americana ssp. comata [Alaska, Hailey Adler <hailauren>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/127454003 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2022c) Saygorytes phaleratus [Prince Edward Island, Barry Cottam <pei-ott>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/129979387 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2022d) Crossocerus annulipes [Nova Scotia, <naturefiend>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/136943983 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2022e) Ectemnius maculosus [Northwest Territories, <johanna_s>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/130975388 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2022f) Trypoxylon politum [Quebec, <piskomantis>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/131966702 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2022g) Cerceris fumipennis [New Brunswick, Avery Wells <spavery>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133336953 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2022h) Ammophila fernaldi [New Brunswick, Denis Doucet <nbdragonflyguy>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/130950122 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2022i) Ammophila pictipennis [Quebec, Alain Maire <ama75>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/134634962 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2022j) Sceliphron curvatum [Nova Scotia, Heather <hcray>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/134118239 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2022k) Sceliphron caementarium [Australia, Paul G. Schrijvershof <paulschrijvershof>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/110944965 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2022l) Sceliphron caementarium [Azores, Abrão Leite <dracoabe>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/121505638 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2022m) Philanthus sanbornii [Quebec, Philippe Hénault <phil_crimson>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/127165148 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2022n) Prionyx atratus [Quebec, Mowgly Gagnon <mowgly1>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/131821305 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2022o) Sphex ichneumoneus [Quebec, Étienne Govare <etienne111>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/131080424 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2022p) Philanthus gibbosus [Quebec, Mathis Boisvert <mathisb21>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/132845107 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2022q) Crabro latipes [Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, verneau <nonomay>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/124467257 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2023a) Lestiphorus cockerelli [Nova Scotia, Sian Bryson <jaegerpilot>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/181621522 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2023b) Stizoides renicinctus [Saskatchewan, Ellyne Geurts <ellyne>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/180855627 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2023c) Nysson lateralis [Prince Edward Island, Barry Cottam <pei-ott>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/178607851 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2023d) Crossocerus impressifrons [New Brunswick, Denis Doucet <nbdragonflyguy>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/178452185 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2023e) Cerceris arelate [Nova Scotia, <jacoboffairmont>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/177351029 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2023f) Cerceris atramontensis [Nova Scotia, <kathleenfspicer>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/181965746 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2023g) Eucerceris zonata [Quebec, Ludo Leclerc <ludoleclerc>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/174331308 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2023h) Eremnophila aureonotata [Nova Scotia, Randy Lauff <randylauff>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/181900952 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2023i) Isodontia mexicana [Prince Edward Island, Randy Lauff <randylauff>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/179019040 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2023j) Isodontia mexicana [Quebec, Christian Grenier <krisskinou>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/147398436 [Access: 29 November 2024].

iNaturalist (2023k) Sceliphron caementarium [Vanuatu, Dominik Maximilián Ramík <dominik_ramik>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/149183736 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2023l) Sphecius speciosus [British Columbia, <cibrink>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/178249034 [Access: 18 December 2024]

iNaturalist (2024a) Bembix pallidipicta [Quebec, Nick Bédard <nickbedard>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/197280013 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2024b) Solierella blaisdelli [Alaska, Alexandria Wenninger <awenninger>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/200562077 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2024c) Sphex pensylvanicus [Quebec, Kévin <k087>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/195611563 [Access: 29 November 2024]

iNaturalist (2024d) Sphecius speciosus [British Columbia, <samree>]. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/234927470 [Access: 18 December 2024]

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Appendix 1

Alphabetic list of type material examined

We studied type material of 31 nominal species plus images of types of 26 species (noted by asterisk *). Primary types (holotypes, lectotypes or neotypes) were examined unless otherwise noted. All listed species names are currently treated as valid except if noted otherwise. Original combinations (orig. comb.) are mentioned for species that were described in other genera. Species noted as extralimital do not occur in the area of the checklist but were examined in order to clarify their identity and to rule out confusion with Canadian species. Taxonomic changes that resulted from the examination are noted for each species, as well as confirmed synonymies. Acronyms of depositories: Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (ANSP); United States National Museum, Washington, DC (USNM); University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska (UNSM); Bohart Museum of Entomology, University of California, Davis, California (BMEC); Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (MCZC); Snow Entomological Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas (SEMC); Collection Entomologique de l’Université Laval, Laval, Quebec (ULQC); Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (UMMZ); Canadian National Collection of Insects, Ottawa, Ontario (CNC). Abbreviation: TL – Type locality (only state or province mentioned, not the exact locality).

*Cerceris alaope Banks, 1912, MCZC: extralimital (TL: Virginia). We are unable to distinguish this species from C. prominens (see below), a Canadian species, based on the provided images or descriptions in the literature. Both species were described in the same paper.

*Cerceris banksi Scullen, 1965 [synonym of C. alaope, see previous], MCZC: extralimital (TL: Virginia).

*Cerceris dakotensis Banks, 1915 [synonym of C. vicina Cresson, 1865], MCZC: extralimital (TL: North Dakota).

*Cerceris nebrascensis H. Smith, 1908, UNSM: extralimital (TL: Nebraska).

*Cerceris prominens Banks, 1912, MCZC: new for Canada, see note above, under C. alaope (TL: Virginia).

Crabro leopardus R. Bohart, 1976, paratypes, BMEC: new for Canada (TL: California).

Crossocerus eriogoni (Rohwer, 1908) [orig. comb.: Crabro], USNM: synonymized with C. minimus (Packard) (TL: Colorado).

*Diodontus adamsi Titus, 1909, UMMZ: occurs in Canada, Alaska (TL: Michigan).

*Diodontus americanus Packard, 1867, MCZC: occurs in Canada, Alaska (TL: Maine).

*Diodontus antennatus (Mickel, 1906) [orig. comb.: Xylocelia], UNSM: reinstated from synonymy with D. metathoracicus (Mickel), extralimital (TL: Nebraska).

*Diodontus argentinae Rohwer, 1909, USNM: occurs in Canada (TL: Colorado).

Diodontus ater (Mickel, 1916) [orig. comb.: Xylocelia], UNSM: revised synonymy with D. nigritus Fox (removed from synonymy with D. flavitarsis Fox) (TL: Nebraska).

Diodontus beulahensis (Rohwer, 1917) [orig. comb.: Xylocelia], USNM: tentative revised synonymy with D. americanus Packard (removed from synonymy with D. flavitarsis Fox) (TL: New Mexico).

Diodontus brunneicornis Viereck, 1906, SEMC: extralimital (TL: Kansas).

Diodontus cockerelli Rohwer, 1909, USNM: extralimital (TL: Colorado).

Diodontus flavitarsis Fox, 1892, ANSP: new for Canada (TL: Colorado).

Diodontus florissantensis Rohwer, 1909, USNM: revised synonymy with D. americanus Packard (removed from synonymy with D. rugosus Fox) (TL: Colorado).

Diodontus fraternus Rohwer, 1909, USNM: new for Canada (TL: Colorado).

Diodontus gillettei Fox, 1892, ANSP: synonymized with D. americanus Packard (TL: Colorado).

Diodontus leguminiferus Cockerell, 1897, ANSP: occurs in Canada (TL: New Mexico).

Diodontus maestus (Mickel, 1916) [orig. comb.: Xylocelia], UNSM: revised synonymy with D. nigritus Fox (removed from synonymy with D. flavitarsis Fox) (TL: Nebraska).

*Diodontus metathoracicus (Mickel, 1916) [orig. comb.: Xylocelia], UNSM: new for Canada (TL: Nebraska).

Diodontus neomexicanus Rohwer, 1909, USNM: occurs in Canada (TL: New Mexico).

Diodontus nigritus Fox, 1892, ANSP: reinstated from synonymy with D. flavitarsis Fox, occurs in Canada, Alaska (TL: Colorado).

Diodontus occidentalis Fox, 1892, ANSP: extralimital (TL: California).

Diodontus rugosus Fox, 1892, ANSP: synonymized with D. americanus Packard (TL: Montana).

*Diodontus siouxensis (Mickel, 1916) [orig. comb.: Xylocelia], UNSM: synonymized with D. americanus Packard (TL: Nebraska).

*Diodontus spiniferus (Mickel, 1916) [orig. comb.: Xylocelia], UNSM: occurs in Canada, Alaska (TL: Nebraska).

*Diodontus striatus (Mickel, 1916) [orig. comb.: Xylocelia], UNSM: synonymized with D. americanus Packard (TL: North Dakota).

Diodontus vallicolae Rohwer, 1909, USNM: synonymized with D. nigritus Fox (TL: Colorado).

Diodontus vallicolae salicis Rohwer, 1909, USNM: revised synonymy with D. nigritus Fox (removed from synonymy with D. vallicolae) (TL: Colorado).

*Diodontus virginianus (Rohwer, 1917) [orig. comb.: Xylocelia], USNM: occurs in Canada (TL: Virginia).

*Gorytes angustus (Provancher, 1895) [orig. comb.: Hoplisus], ULQC: occurs in Canada (TL: California).

Gorytes atrifrons Fox, 1892, ANSP: extralimital (TL: Nevada).

Gorytes decorus Fox, 1896, ANSP: reinstated from synonymy with G. atricornis Packard, new for Canada (TL: Montana).

Gorytes nevadensis Fox, 1892, ANSP: extralimital (TL: Nevada).

*Mimesa cheyenne Finnamore, 1983, CNC: new for Canada (TL: Colorado).

Mimumesa mixta (Fox, 1898) [orig. comb.: Psen], ANSP: occurs in Canada, Alaska (TL: Washington).

Mimumesa nigra (Packard, 1867) [orig. comb.: Psen], ANSP: occurs in Canada (TL: Virginia).

Mimumesa propinqua (Kincaid, 1900) [orig. comb.: Mimesa], USNM: occurs in Canada, Alaska (TL: Alaska).

*Oxybelus dilutus Baker, 1896, USNM: synonymy with O. emarginatus Say confirmed (TL: Colorado).

*Oxybelus pacificus (Rohwer, 1909) [orig. comb.: Notoglossa], USNM: reinstated from synonymy with O. emarginatus Say, new for Canada (TL: Washington).

*Oxybelus robertsonii Baker, 1896, USNM: occurs in Canada (TL: Colorado).

*Oxybelus trifidus Cockerell & Baker, 1896, USNM: synonymy with O. argenteopilosus Cameron suspected (currently considered a synonym of O. emarginatus), extralimital (TL: New Mexico).

Passaloecus melanognathus Rohwer, 1910, USNM: extralimital (TL: Oregon).

*Prionyx canadensis (Provancher, 1887), ULQC: see Taxonomy notes below, occurs in Canada (TL: Ontario, likely in error).

*Solierella affinis (Rohwer, 1909) [orig. comb.: Niteliopsis], USNM: occurs in Canada (TL: Colorado).

Solierella fossor (Rohwer, 1909) [orig. comb.: Niteliopsis], USNM: extralimital (TL: Colorado).

Solierella foxii (Viereck, 1906) [preoccupied, orig. comb.: Niteliopsis], SEMC: reinstated from synonymy with S. fossor (Rohwer), new for Canada as S. mammillata Buck nom. nov. (TL: Kansas).

*Solierella lucida (Rohwer, 1909) [orig. comb.: Niteliopsis], USNM: status unclear, see Taxonomy notes below, extralimital(?) (TL: Colorado).

Solierella modesta (Rohwer, 1909) [orig. comb.: Niteliopsis], USNM: extralimital (TL: Colorado).

*Solierella nigra (Rohwer, 1909) [preoccupied, orig. comb.: Niteliopsis], USNM: new for Canada as S. nigrans Krombein (replacement name) (TL: Colorado).

*Solierella sayi (Rohwer, 1909) [orig. comb.: Niteliopsis], USNM: occurs in Canada (TL: Colorado).

*Solierella vierecki (Rohwer, 1909) [orig. comb.: Niteliopsis], USNM: new for Canada (TL: Colorado).

Spilomena clypearis N. Smith, 1995, paratypes, BMEC: new for Canada (TL: California).

Spilomena montana R. Bohart, 1995, paratypes, BMEC: both male paratypes are misidentified, extralimital (TL: California).

Spilomena occidentalis R. Bohart, 1955, paratypes, BMEC: new for Canada (TL: Arizona).

Taxonomy notes

The following notes discuss taxonomic changes such as new synonyms and reinstated species. Furthermore, we clarify species concepts where they differ from those of previous authors in order to avoid confusion with other species.

Astatidae

Diploplectron Fox: Unfortunately, Parker (1972) misdiagnosed some of the species, which led to confusion about the identity of the Canadian species. Couplet 10, lead 1 in Parker’s key to females should read “Least interocular distance as long as or shorter than flagellomeres I and II”. Lead 2 should read “Least interocular distance more [not less] than flagellomeres I and II”.

Bembicidae

Microbembex monodonta (Say, 1824): Most specimens from the Prairie provinces are highly xanthic (e.g., Fig. 16) and agree perfectly with the description of M. evansi R. Bohart, 1993. This species is currently known only from the Monahans Sandhills in Texas (Bohart 1993), but it is likely much more widespread on the Great Plains. We are convinced that the xanthic Canadian forms are merely colour varieties of M. monodonta, and this can also be assumed for M. evansi. Similar geographic colour variation occurs in other Bembicini such as Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus.

Gorytes angustus (Provancher, 1895): The identity of this species was clarified by examination of images of the holotype since the species cannot be recognized based on previously published diagnostic characters. It is distinguished from the very similar and largely sympatric G. provancheri (see below) by the simple (vs. widened) hypostomal carina. A more detailed diagnosis will be provided in an upcoming review of the genus.

Gorytes decorus Fox, 1896, sp. restit.: This species was synonymized with G. atricornis Packard, 1867 by Bohart in Bohart and Menke (1976). It is reinstated here because of significant differences in morphology and coloration: males of G. decorus have wider tyloids than G. atricornis and the tyloids are dull (vs. shining). The femora of both sexes of decorus have substantial ferruginous markings (absent in atricornis).

Gorytes provancheri Handlirsch, 1895 is a replacement name for G. laticinctus Provancher, 1888, a secondary junior homonym of Euspongus laticinctus Lepeletier, 1832. Unfortunately, the type material of Provancher’s species is lost (Gahan and Rohwer 1917) and the species is unrecognizable based on the original description. Our concept of G. provancheri follows Bohart who described several western species in this genus (Bohart 1971). We compared Canadian material with specimens from California and Nevada identified by Bohart in the collection of the University of California at Davis (differential diagnosis see under G. angustus). The identity of the species will be fixed by neotype designation in an upcoming review of the genus.

Nysson freyigessneri Handlirsch, 1887, sp. restit.: This species was synonymized with N. aurinotus Say, 1837 by Bohart and Menke (1976). However, the two species do not only differ in coloration (i.e., N. freyigessneri usually has more or less extensive ferruginous ground colour of tergum 1) but also structurally. In N. freyigessneri males, flagellomere XI is more emarginate and F-X has fewer enlarged hairs (two vs. four or five in N. aurinotus).

Crabronidae

Crabro canningsi Finnamore, 1988, syn. nov. is synonymized with the Palearctic C. maeklini Morawitz, 1866. We consider the diagnostic differences mentioned by Finnamore (1988) insignificant. DNA barcodes of C. canningsi specimens from the Yukon and Nunavut differ by merely 0.32% from barcodes of C. maeklini from Finland (BOLD 2024c).

Crabro hispidus Fox, 1895. Bohart (1976) apparently misassociated dark females of C. florissantensis with C. hispidus. The diagnostic character (colour of hairs on frons) used in his key is either incorrect or unreliable and contradicts sex associations obtained through DNA barcoding (BOLD 2024c) as well as collections of females associated with males of C. florissantensis from Alberta, British Columbia and Washington at the PMAE and CNC. We have not seen the true female of C. hispidus and are therefore unable to distinguish it from C. florissantensis. Bohart’s Canadian records of C. hispidus are based on females only and therefore disregarded.

Crossocerus barbipes (Dahlbom, 1845), which was originally described from Sweden, is assumed to have a Holarctic distribution. However, COI sequences on BOLD (2024c) show Nearctic “barbipes” as the sister clade to the western Nearctic species C. stricklandi Pate. The clade containing both species is in turn sister group to the clade that represents Palearctic C. barbipes. This suggests that Nearctic “barbipes” is a distinct species. Synonymy of C. stricklandi with C. barbipes can be ruled out since males of both species are well differentiated morphologically (Leclercq 2000). Originally, the Nearctic species that is currently called “barbipes” was described as C. wickhamii (Ashmead, 1899) based on material from Alaska, but it was later synonymized by Krombein (1951). Crossocerus wickhamii is likely the correct name for Nearctic “barbipes”. We are not reinstating the species here because we have not examined the holotype, and it cannot be ruled out at this point that Palearctic C. barbipes ranges into Alaska.

Crossocerus eriogoni (Rohwer, 1908), syn. nov. The diagnostic characters that separate this species from C. minimus (Packard, 1867) (see Leclercq 2000) are very subtle, variable and show significant overlap when longer series of specimens are examined. C. eriogoni is best regarded as a southwestern morph of C. minimus. In Canada, it occurs only in the Prairie region of Alberta and Saskatchewan, whereas C. minimus is more northern in the west and also occurs in the east.

Lindenius errans (Fox, 1895), sp. restit.: Pate (1947) reduced L. errans to a subspecies of L. columbianus (Kohl, 1892) and Bohart and Menke (1976) synonymized it with the latter. Lindenius errans is re-instated as a good species because of significant morphological differences. The number of tyloids on the male antennae is reduced (restricted to flagellomeres I to IV, V, VI or VII vs. F-I to IX, X or XI in L. columbianus) and the pronotal angles are less prominent. Lindenius errans is eastern, L. columbianus western. As far as we know, the species are allopatric in Canada. However, their ranges are contiguous in southwestern Alberta and might narrowly overlap there.

Solierella inermis (Cresson, 1873) and S. lucida (Rohwer, 1909). The latter belongs in the S. inermis-group (Fig. 54) but was omitted from Bohart’s (1991) species key. S. lucida is currently treated as a valid species but might be a synonym of S. inermis. At present, this problem cannot be solved because the type of S. inermis is a female but identification in this species group relies mostly on male diagnostic characters. If S. lucida is indeed a good species, the name probably applies to Canadian populations. Based on the fact that, (1) S. lucida has never been recorded again after its original description, (2) S. inermis is supposedly widespread including on the Great Plains (Krombein 1979), and (3) the two names might be synonymous we tentatively apply the name S. inermis to populations from Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Solierella mammillata Buck, nom. nov. is a replacement name for Niteliopsis foxii Viereck, 1906. The latter is preoccupied by Plenoculus foxii Viereck, 1902. N. foxii was incorrectly synonymized with S. fossor (Rohwer, 1909) by Krombein (1951). S. mammillata differs from S. fossor by the short posteroapical spines of female fore tarsomeres 1–4 (the one on the basitarsus is at most half as long as tarsomere 2 vs. as long in S. fossor) and the very short, nipple-like, apicomedial process of the male fore coxa (much longer in S. fossor, about as long as fore tarsomere 3). These characters also serve to distinguish S. mammillata from an undescribed species of the S. fossor-group (= group I of Williams 1950) that occurs largely sympatrically in the Canadian Prairie provinces.

Belomicrus forbesii (Robertson, 1889) (Fig. 55). Pate (1940) synonymized B. columbianus (Kohl, 1892) with B. forbesii, which was later reversed by Bohart (1994b). The colour patterns that distinguish these nominal species are highly variable and intergrade in Canada. We follow Pate’s view in considering them one and the same species.

Oxybelus pacificus (Rohwer, 1909), sp. restit.: This species was synonymized with O. emarginatus Say, 1837 by Krombein (1955). It is re-instated as a good species based on coloration and significant structural differences. The humeral plate of O. pacificus is largely blackish brown (vs. orange in O. emarginatus). The medial clypeal tooth of the male is well developed (vs. weak or absent), and lateral teeth of the female clypeus are more acute and slightly splayed forward and outward (vs. more obtuse and not splayed). The DNA barcodes of both species diverge significantly by 10.7–12.4% (BOLD 2024c). Oxybelus pacificus is western and O. emarginatus eastern; their ranges broadly overlap in the Canadian Prairie Provinces.

Trypoxylon clavicerum Lepeletier & Serville, 1828 and T. kostylevi Antropov, 1985. Some Canadian specimens key to kostylevi based on genitalic characters (e.g., see Jacobs 2007). Schmid-Egger et al. (2018) argued that they are in fact the same species because they cannot be distinguished through DNA barcoding, females are morphologically inseparable and male genitalic differences appear to be preparation artefacts. We follow this view and consider all Canadian material T. clavicerum.

Trypoxylon sculleni Sandhouse, 1940. We consider previously identified Canadian material of this taxon conspecific with T. pennsylvanicum de Saussure, 1867. Antropov (2003) provided detailed diagnoses of both species. We were unable to corroborate the genitalic differences reported there. Non-genitalic characters are variable and very subtle. T. sculleni material from east of the Rocky Mountains (Finnamore 1994; Buck 2004: fide Antropov in litt.) is indistinguishable from T. pennsylvanicum, but specimens from British Columbia and Pacific States tend to be larger than eastern populations of the latter. We strongly suspect that T. sculleni is a synonym of T. pennsylvanicum but we are unable to determine this with certainty since we have only seen a few specimens of T. sculleni from the Pacific U.S., which includes the type locality of this species (Corvallis, Oregon).

Pemphredonidae

Diodontus. Two-fifths (10 spp.) of the Canadian fauna remains undescribed, and only a few species are recognizable based on the previously published literature. Eighme’s (1989) revision of the North American species is inadequate and has been a major stumbling block for the proper understanding of many species. Some of the diagnostic characters are uninformative, and the keys and diagnoses are riddled with errors and inaccuracies. The sexes of four species were associated incorrectly, four species were wrongly synonymized, eight obvious synonymies were missed, and the species groups are poorly defined, in one case placing overlooked synonyms of a single species in three different species groups. In order to clarify the identity of Canadian species we had to examine type material of 25 nominal species (see above). The results of this review will be published separately (Buck, in prep.). The following notes briefly clarify the status of a number of species.

Diodontus americanus Packard, 1867. The following new or revised synonyms merely represent insignificant varieties of the same species: D. florissantensis Rohwer, 1909, syn. rev., D. bidentatus Rohwer, 1911, syn. nov., Xylocelia siouxensis Mickel, 1916, syn. nov. and Xylocelia striata Mickel, 1916, syn. nov. On the other hand, D. gillettei Fox, 1892, syn. nov. and D. rugosus Fox, 1892, syn. nov. appear to be misdiagnosed by Eighme (1989) based on comparison with type material. The species that Eighme called D. gillettei is in fact distinct (present in Alberta and Saskatchewan) but remains undescribed. Eighme’s concept of D. rugosus is likely based on misidentified material and the sexes are associated incorrectly.

Diodontus flavitarsis-group. In Canada and Alaska, this species group includes D. adamsi Titus, 1909, D. flavitarsis Fox, 1892, D. nigritus Fox, 1892, D. virginianus (Rohwer, 1917), and one undescribed species. Males of this group are very similar and hard to distinguish. Unfortunately, the types of several nominal species (including D. flavitarsis and D. virginianus) are males, which has caused much confusion.

Diodontus flavitarsis Fox, 1892. The male of this species is extremely similar to D. virginianus. Eighme (1989) separated them based on the colour of the pronotal lobe, but this character is variable and has no diagnostic value (Buck 2004). The species are redefined here based on slight differences in the flagellar placoids (better developed in D. virginianus) and distribution (D. virginianus is eastern, D. flavitarsis western). Females are easier to distinguish (upper frons more densely punctate in D. virginianus) but were not separated by Eighme. The females that Eighme (and subsequently Buck 2004) called D. flavitarsis actually belong to an undescribed species and all four species that were synonymized by him with D. flavitarsis are in fact different species.

Diodontus nigritus Fox, 1892, sp. restit. This species (and its synonyms Xylocelia maesta Mickel, 1916 and X. atra Mickel, 1916) were incorrectly synonymized with D. flavitarsis by Eighme (1989). Eighme used the name D. vallicolae Rohwer, 1909, syn. nov. for the male and misassociated it with a female in a different species group. Both males and females of D. nigritus are uniquely diagnosed by the presence of a small fovea in the tegular cavity of the scutum (see Eighme 1989). This fovea is sometimes weakly developed (especially in females and specimens from Ontario and British Columbia), which led to the misidentification of Ontario specimens as D. flavitarsis in Buck (2004).

Diodontus fraternus Rohwer, 1909. Eighme (1989) misdiagnosed and likely misidentified the male of this species, incorrectly associating the sexes. Contrary to Eighme’s description, the male flagellum possesses placoids and is only slightly swollen. A species with conspicuously swollen male flagellum from Alberta remains undescribed.

Diodontus leguminiferus Cockerell, 1897. Eighme (1989) misdiagnosed and probably misidentified the male of this species. Contrary to his key and description, male tergum 6 does not possess stout, spine-like setae. The female was not known to Eighme but can be recognized by its unusually slender flagellum, a unique character that is shared with the male.

Diodontus metathoracicus (Mickel, 1916). This species is part of a difficult species complex including the extralimital D. antennatus (Mickel, 1916) (incorrectly synonymized with the former by Eighme 1989) plus one or two undescribed species in western Canada and several more in the United States.

Diodontus neomexicanus Rohwer, 1909. Eighme (1989) misdiagnosed and possibly misidentified the male of this species (male flagellum with placoids on flagellomeres (V)VI or VII to XI, not on “8–12” as stated by Eighme). The male is similar to an undescribed species that is widespread in western Canada.

Pemphredon bipartior Fox, 1892, sp. restit. and P. mortifer Valkeila, 1972: Both P. bipartior, a Nearctic species, and P. mortifer, a Palearctic species, were synonymized with the Palearctic P. rugifer (Dahlbom, 1844) by Dollfuss (1995). Other Palearctic workers did not follow Dollfuss and continued to consider P. mortifer a good species. P. bipartior is reinstated here as a good species based on multiple diagnostic characters such as the fringe of long hairs on the female fore basitarsus (absent in P. rugifer), dentition of female mandible, and largely smooth metanotum in both sexes. P. mortifer has never been recorded from the Nearctic before and is likely introduced. Christian Schmid-Egger kindly confirmed the identity of Canadian specimens. Canadian material identified as rugifer by Dollfuss includes both P. bipartior and P. mortifer.

Pemphredon lugubris (Fabricius, 1793) and P. montana Dahlbom, 1845. These species are currently considered to have a Holarctic distribution, but DNA barcoding data reveals deep genetic divergences between Nearctic and Palearctic lineages (BOLD 2024c). Nearctic populations of both species have available names that were only synonymized relatively recently by Dollfuss (1995): P. concolor Say, 1824 (TL: “Northwest Territory”), currently a synonym of P. lugubris, and P. angularis Fox, 1892 (TL: New Hampshire), currently a synonym of P. montana. We have not examined Palearctic material, and we therefore refrain from making any taxonomic changes. As in the case of P. bipartior and P. mortifer (see above), we strongly suspect that P. concolor and P. angularis represent good species that will have to be reinstated.

Stigmus americanus Packard, 1867 and S. fraternus Say, 1824. These species appear to be opposites in a seemingly continuous range of variation and cannot be delimited from each other in a satisfactory way (see also Krombein 1973). DNA barcoding data reveal several genetic clades, some of which diverge significantly (BOLD 2024c). Based on molecular data, at least three cryptic species can be expected in Canada.

Philanthidae

Cerceris occipitomaculata Packard, 1866. Scullen (1965) misdiagnosed the male of this species, which led to the erroneous Ontario record by Buck (2004), based on an atypical specimen. The male of C. occipitomaculata closely resembles C. nigrescens but can be distinguished by the lighter underside of the flagellum and denser clypeal brushes.

Cerceris prominens Banks, 1912. This species has not been properly diagnosed in the literature, which has led to much confusion about its identity. Ontario records by Buck (2004) are incorrect, but the specimens could not be located for re-examination. The diagnosis in Buck et al. (2006), which was based on those specimens is incorrect. The female of C. prominens differs from C. clypeata by the more erect and slightly narrower clypeal process (similar to Fig. 168b in Scullen 1965, as "C. nebrascensis", apparently in error). The male clypeus is slightly swollen just above the apical margin but otherwise more or less flat, unlike related species.

Philanthus zebratus Cresson, 1880. Ferguson (1984a) reinstated P. basilaris Cresson, 1880 from synonymy with P. zebratus, referring populations from AB and SK to the former. The two species are poorly defined and intergrade in Canada. We follow Bohart and Grissell (1975) in considering them mere geographic variants. The synonymy of P. basilaris is confirmed.

Psenidae

Mimesa curta Pulawski & Buck, nom. nov. is a replacement name for Psen simplex Malloch, 1933. The latter is preoccupied by Psen simplex Tournier, 1889, a synonym of Psenulus schencki (Tournier, 1889). The homonymy was first discovered by Pulawski (2025) which is reflected by the authorship of the replacement name.

Mimesa gregaria (Fox, 1898), syn. nov. is synonymized with M. unicincta Cresson, 1865. These two nominal species broadly intergrade in western Canada and are structurally inseparable. M. unicincta is darker than M. gregaria and occurs at higher altitudes and latitudes than the latter.

Sphecidae

Prionyx canadensis (Provancher, 1887). Type examination confirms the present interpretation of the species (see Bohart and Menke 1963). However, the type locality (“Ottawa”) was probably given in error since the lectotype bears no locality label and no verifiable Ontario records of this species exist (see also Buck 2004: Table 1). Females of P. canadensis are very difficult to separate from P. parkeri (Fig. 85), which is known to occur in Ontario. Unfortunately, the two Ontario records of P. canadensis in Bohart and Menke (1963: Fig. 35) were given without specific mention of locality or depository. We therefore consider these records doubtful and exclude P. canadensis from the Ontario species list.

﻿Abstract

Keywords

﻿Introduction

﻿Methods

﻿Sources of data

﻿Presentation of data

﻿Higher classification

﻿Taxonomy

﻿Biogeography

﻿Nesting habits

﻿Results and discussion

﻿Overview of the fauna

﻿Results by political regions

﻿Undescribed species

﻿Erroneous previous records

﻿Taxonomic composition

﻿Endemism

﻿Species restricted to Canada

﻿Alaskan species

﻿Species with restricted distributions

﻿Connections with other biogeographic regions

﻿Holarctic species

﻿Species shared with Mexico and the Neotropical region

﻿Distribution patterns within North America

﻿Remarkable new records for the area of the checklist

﻿Comparison of species richness and density with the Palearctic region

﻿Nesting habits and biogeography

﻿Introduced species

﻿Ecological impact of introductions

﻿Faunal change

﻿Citizen science

﻿DNA barcoding

﻿Acknowledgements

﻿References

﻿Appendix 1

Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Sources of data

Presentation of data

Higher classification

Taxonomy

Biogeography

Nesting habits

Results and discussion

Overview of the fauna

Results by political regions

Undescribed species

Erroneous previous records

Taxonomic composition

Endemism

Species restricted to Canada

Alaskan species

Species with restricted distributions

Connections with other biogeographic regions

Holarctic species

Species shared with Mexico and the Neotropical region

Distribution patterns within North America

Remarkable new records for the area of the checklist

Comparison of species richness and density with the Palearctic region

Nesting habits and biogeography

Introduced species

Ecological impact of introductions

Faunal change

Citizen science

DNA barcoding

Acknowledgements

References

Appendix 1