The Scoliidae wasps (Hymenoptera: Scolioidea) of Mexico: taxonomy and biogeography

The family Scoliidae is represented by approximately 560 species worldwide. Of these, 64 species are known to occur in the New World. The greatest diversity of these wasps is concentrated in the Pantropical region. However, both the biology and the taxonomy of Scoliidae has remained understudied over the last six decades in the Americas. Taxonomic keys for the New World species are limited to certain regions of North and South America, showing ambiguous descriptions and unillustrated specimens. This situation has largely restricted aspects such as the species richness, ecology, and thus conservation status of these wasps, especially in Mexico, where there are no taxonomic revisions. In this work, the Scoliidae species from Mexico were revised from 12 entomological collections to update and homologize the list of species. In total, we examined 747 specimens from 23 morphospecies and 9 genera. The diagnosis of each species is presented, including their distribution, and a species checklist is provided. Moreover, the first taxonomic key for the Mexican species is presented. Stygocampsomeris servillei Guerin is a new record for the country. Also, two new Nearctic and four Neotropical records are added. The occurrence records are now expanded to 30 Mexican states. Most species (41.6%) occur in both Nearctic and Neotropical regions. The species Scolia fuscipennis Bartlett is still known from a single sex. This work is the first attempt towards the taxonomy and biogeography of the Mexican Scoliidae; thus, it could be an important baseline for faunistic, ecological, and conservation purposes. Overall, the family Scoliidae has been overlooked and poorly represented in Mexican collections. The specimens were scarce and frequently in bad condition, and none of them include biological or ecological attributes. Systematic sampling and appropriate curation of specimens would help to conduct future revisions, as well as the possible integration of barcoding information allowing integrative taxonomic approaches.

Automated summary

The family Scoliidae, consisting of approximately 560 species, is mainly distributed in the Pantropical region worldwide. However, the biology and taxonomy of Scoliidae has been understudied in the Americas, including Mexico. This study revised the Scoliidae species in Mexico and provided a species checklist and taxonomic key. The findings contribute to the understanding of faunistics, ecology, and conservation of Scoliidae in Mexico.