Does the Ageniella accepta species-group (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) contain multiple species or a single, wide-ranging, morphologically variable species?

Ageniellini spider wasps (Pompilidae, Pepsinae) are well known for their intriguing behavior. Species of Ageniella, the second most diverse genus in Ageniellini, amputate the legs of their spider prey before transporting them to their burrow. This genus, however, is accompanied by many taxonomic problems. Ageniella species are structurally diverse and have been separated into nine groups. The subgenus Ageniella is further divided into four species-groups, of which the A. accepta group has three Nearctic species: A. accepta, A. blaisdelli, and A. conflicta, found from Canada to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. The A. accepta group is easily recognized, but several problems concerning its taxonomy remain. 1) Species-level identification is difficult, 2) diagnostic characters are questionable and subjective for males and females, and 3) males and females of each species are not reliably associated. Herein, we test validity of A. accepta group species and male-female associations. We studied molecular and morphological characters of specimens from Canada to Mexico. Our preliminary results, based on Bayesian and distances analyses using COI sequences, suggest that A. accepta group species are actually a single, wide-ranging species. We extend distribution of the taxon to Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras. Our work in Ageniella is the first attempt to match males and females based on molecular data. Methods from this study will be applied to the entire genus. Our continuing clarifications of Ageniellini classification will contribute to the broader goal of understanding nesting behavior evolution in this tribe.