Epipompilus

rdf:langString Epipompilus

rdf:langString Kohl, 1884

rdf:langString Epipompilus

rdf:langString Epipompilus maximiliani

rdf:langString Kohl, 1884

rdf:langString Epipompilus is a genus of spider wasps in the subfamily Pepsinae, part of the widespread family Pompilidae. Representatives of Epipompilus can be found in Australasia and North and South America. This distribution may indicate that Epipompilus evolved in Gondwana and is similar to other Gondwanan taxa such as the southern beech Nothofagus and Auracaria. Epipompilus is found in North and South America, ranging from Argentina to extreme southern United States, with around a dozen known species. One species, E. insularis is endemic to New Zealand. In Australia, the genus reaches its greatest diversity, with a greater number of species and a more varied spectrum of morphological features than among the American species. The Epipompilus species in New Guinea are notably brilliantly coloured and apparently highly evolved species. The genus is restricted to these areas but several Tertiary fossils from the northern hemisphere should probably be placed in Epipompilus.