Additional observations on the nesting behavior of \u3ci\u3eMiscophus (Nitelopterus) californicus\u3c/i\u3e (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae)

Close-up photographs of nest entry, nest closure and prey transport taken on sandy coastal back dunes in Santa Barbara County, CA by Alice J. Abela substantiate and enhance written descriptions of these nesting be­havior components in Miscophus californicus (Ashmead) [=M. laticeps (Ashmead)] (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae). Dictynidae (Dictyna Sundevall or Emblyna Chamberlin) is introduced as a new host family and host spider leg amputation is revealed for the first time for this small miscophine wasp. Miscophus (Nitelopterus) californicus (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) is a small (4.5–7.0 mm) Nearctic miscophine wasp that ranges from California and Arizona north to southern Alberta and Saskatchewan (M. Buck, Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton, AB, 2020 pers. comm.). This species is extremely common in California with larger black individuals inhabiting relict sand dunes along the Pacific Coast (Wasbauer 1978). The females excavate short shallow burrows in friable soil and hunt various tiny spiders which they immobilize with a sting in the cephalothorax. They transport the prey forward in flight or on the ground, depending on its relative size and weight, and return periodically to an open or closed nest entrance holding the spider face forward and venter to venter. They release the prey on the ground in that position, enter the burrow, pull the spider inside, and, after several spiders are deposited within and oviposition on a single prey occurs, close the burrow and entrance with loose soil. The nesting behavior of Miscophus californicus [as M. laticeps (Ashmead)] was studied in 2010, 2011 and 2012 at Montaña de Oro State Park, San Luis Obispo County, CA by Kurczewski et al. (2012) to clarify variation in previous reports on this species. Voucher specimens from this study were collected from coastal sand dunes in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, CA, deposited in the University of California–Davis R.M. Bohart Insect Museum, and identified as M. laticeps by L.S. Kimsey, University of California–Davis. This study was basically in agreement with that on M. californicus by Powell (1967) and in disagreement with the study of M. laticeps by Cazier and Mortenson (1965). Miscophus laticeps is a heretofore previously unpublished synonym of M. californicus in Joanne Slansky Wasbauer’s (1978) Ph. D. Thesis from the University of California–Davis (L.S. Kimsey, University of California–Davis, Davis, CA, 2020 pers. comm.)

Nesting behavior, ecology, and functional morphology of the trapdoor spider-hunting spider wasp \u3ci\u3eAporus (Plectraporus) hirsutus\u3c/i\u3e (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae)

Macrophotographs in series taken by Alice Abela on sandy coastal dunes in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, CA in 2010–2021 supplement and enhance F. X. Williams (1928) study of the ecol­ogy and nesting behavior of the trapdoor spider-hunting spider wasp Aporus (Plectraporus) hirsutus (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Aporini). Abela’s macrophotographs and observations provide new details of adult wasp feeding, functional morphology, hunting, digging and prey transport, and host spider trapdoor, entrance, burrow structure, host capture and escape activity. Newly reported host records from this study and online photographs expand A. hirsutus host selection in the large wafer-lid trapdoor spider genus Aptostichus Simon (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Euctenizidae). The A. hirsutus California geographic distribution map by Wasbauer and Kimsey (1985) is updated, thereby providing a broader definition of intraspecific variation in this species. Aporus (Plectraporus) hirsutus (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Aporini) is black, its body, antennae, legs and forewings rendered brilliant bluish, greenish or violaceous by its pubescence (Evans 1966; Wasbauer and Kimsey 1985) (Fig. 1). Females of A. hirsutus are 6.5–13.0 mm in body length, their size depending on the size of the host spider on which they fed as a larva (Evans 1966; F. E. Kurczewski pers. obs.). Females have the appropriate structural characteristics for preying on the wafer-lid trapdoor spider genus Aptostichus Simon (Araneae: Myga­lomorphae: Euctenizidae) in loose sand of active and relict coastal sand dunes and deserts in the western U. S. (Williams 1928; Wasbauer and Kimsey 1985). Aporus hirsutus ranges from Oregon and California eastward to Idaho, Nevada and western Arizona, and southward into Sonora and Baja California, Mexico (Evans 1966; Was­bauer and Kimsey 1985) (Fig. 9; Table 1)

Antibody Response to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Patients following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have been rapidly approved. Although pivotal studies were conducted in healthy volunteers, little information is available on the safety and efficacy of mRNA vaccines in immunocompromised patients, including recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). Here we used a novel assay to analyze patient- and transplantation-related factors and their influence on immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination over an extended period (up to 6 months) in a large and homogenous group of allo-HCT recipients at a single center in Switzerland. We examined longitudinal antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination with BNT162b2 (BioNTech/Pfizer) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna) in 110 allo-HCT recipients and 86 healthy controls. Seroprofiling recording IgG, IgA, and IgM reactivity against SARS-CoV-2 antigens (receptor-binding domain, spike glycoprotein subunits S1 and S2, and nucleocapsid protein) was performed before vaccination, before the second dose, and at 1, 3, and 6 months after the second dose. Patients were stratified to 3 groups: 3 to 6 months post-allo-HCT, 6 to 12 months post-allo-HCT, and >12 months post-allo-HCT. Patients in the 3 to 6 months and 6 to 12 months post-allo-HCT groups developed significantly lower antibody titers after vaccination compared with patients in the >12 months post-allo-HCT group and healthy controls (P 65 years (P = .030), those receiving immunosuppression for prevention or treatment of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (P = .033), and patients with relapsed disease (P = .014) displayed low humoral immune responses to the vaccine. In contrast, the intensity of the conditioning regimen, underlying disease (myeloid/lymphoid/other), and presence of chronic GVHD had no impact on antibody levels. Antibody titers achieved the highest levels at 1 month after the second dose of the vaccine but waned substantially in all transplantation groups and healthy controls over time. This analysis of long-term vaccine antibody response is of critical importance to allo-HCT recipients and transplant physicians to guide treatment decisions regarding revaccination and social behavior during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Keywords: Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccinatio

Antibody response to a third SARS-CoV-2 vaccine dose in recipients of an allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation

Allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) recipients show impaired antibody (Ab) response to a standard two-dose vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 and currently a third dose is recommended as part of the primary vaccination regimen. By assessing Ab titres 1 month after a third mRNA vaccine dose in 74 allo-HCT recipients we show sufficient neutralisation activity in 77% of the patients. Discontinuation of immunosuppression before the third vaccine led to serological responses in 50% of low responders to two vaccinations. Identifying factors that might contribute to better vaccine responses in allo-HCT recipients is critical to optimise current vaccination strategies. Keywords: allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2); vaccine respons

Nesting behavior, ecology, and functional morphology of the trapdoor spider-hunting spider wasp \u3ci\u3eAporus (Plectraporus) hirsutus\u3c/i\u3e (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae)

Macrophotographs in series taken by Alice Abela on sandy coastal dunes in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, CA in 2010–2021 supplement and enhance F. X. Williams (1928) study of the ecol­ogy and nesting behavior of the trapdoor spider-hunting spider wasp Aporus (Plectraporus) hirsutus (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Aporini). Abela’s macrophotographs and observations provide new details of adult wasp feeding, functional morphology, hunting, digging and prey transport, and host spider trapdoor, entrance, burrow structure, host capture and escape activity. Newly reported host records from this study and online photographs expand A. hirsutus host selection in the large wafer-lid trapdoor spider genus Aptostichus Simon (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Euctenizidae). The A. hirsutus California geographic distribution map by Wasbauer and Kimsey (1985) is updated, thereby providing a broader definition of intraspecific variation in this species. Aporus (Plectraporus) hirsutus (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Aporini) is black, its body, antennae, legs and forewings rendered brilliant bluish, greenish or violaceous by its pubescence (Evans 1966; Wasbauer and Kimsey 1985) (Fig. 1). Females of A. hirsutus are 6.5–13.0 mm in body length, their size depending on the size of the host spider on which they fed as a larva (Evans 1966; F. E. Kurczewski pers. obs.). Females have the appropriate structural characteristics for preying on the wafer-lid trapdoor spider genus Aptostichus Simon (Araneae: Myga­lomorphae: Euctenizidae) in loose sand of active and relict coastal sand dunes and deserts in the western U. S. (Williams 1928; Wasbauer and Kimsey 1985). Aporus hirsutus ranges from Oregon and California eastward to Idaho, Nevada and western Arizona, and southward into Sonora and Baja California, Mexico (Evans 1966; Was­bauer and Kimsey 1985) (Fig. 9; Table 1)

Chalcochares hirsutifemur (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pompilinae), a probable obligate parasitoid of Aptostichus Simon (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Euctenizidae) in California

Size equivalence, seasonal synchronicity, geospatial sympatry, habitat specificity, and host-searching behavior implicate the spider wasp Chalcochares hirsutifemur (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pompilinae) as an obligate parasitoid on species of the wafer-lid spider genus Aptostichus Simon (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Euctenizidae) on coastal sandy back dunes in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, CA. This is substantiated by 2010–2022 macrophotographs, videos, and field observations. Such host evidence supports recent unpublished phylogenomic studies that place Chalcochares as a sister genus of the spider wasp tribe Aporini, in which all species are known obligate parasitoids on trapdoor spiders and related Mygalomorphae. Chalcochares hirsutifemur and C. engleharti (Banks) are separated based on morphological, geographic, and probable host spider differences. Resource partitioning on the coastal sand dunes between C. hirsutifemur and three species of smaller Aporus Spinola is proposed. ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8F9A67EF-E272-4B7B-BD42-2AC9FD9CBE7

Additional observations on the nesting behavior of Miscophus (Nitelopterus) californicus (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae)

Close-up photographs of nest entry, nest closure and prey transport taken on sandy coastal back dunes in Santa Barbara County, CA by Alice J. Abela substantiate and enhance written descriptions of these nesting behavior components in Miscophus californicus (Ashmead) [=M. laticeps (Ashmead)] (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae). Dictynidae (Dictyna Sundevall or Emblyna Chamberlin) is introduced as a new host family and host spider leg amputation is revealed for the first time for this small miscophine wasp

\u3ci\u3eChalcochares hirsutifemur\u3c/i\u3e (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pompilinae), a probable obligate parasitoid of \u3ci\u3eAptostichus\u3c/i\u3e Simon (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Euctenizidae) in California

Size equivalence, seasonal synchronicity, geospatial sympatry, habitat specificity, and host-search­ing behavior implicate the spider wasp Chalcochares hirsutifemur (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pompilinae) as an obligate parasitoid on species of the wafer-lid spider genus Aptostichus Simon (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Euctenizidae) on coastal sandy back dunes in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara coun­ties, CA. This is substantiated by 2010–2022 macrophotographs, videos, and field observations. Such host evidence supports recent unpublished phylogenomic studies that place Chalcochares as a sister genus of the spider wasp tribe Aporini, in which all species are known obligate parasitoids on trapdoor spiders and related Mygalomorphae. Chalcochares hirsutifemur and C. engleharti (Banks) are separated based on morphological, geographic, and probable host spider differences. Resource partitioning on the coastal sand dunes between C. hirsutifemur and three species of smaller Aporus Spinola is proposed

Chalcochares hirsutifemur (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pompilinae), a probable obligate parasitoid of Aptostichus Simon (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Euctenizidae) in California

Kurczewski, Frank E., Abela, Alice J., Shimizu, Akira (2023): Chalcochares hirsutifemur (Banks) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pompilinae), a probable obligate parasitoid of Aptostichus Simon (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Euctenizidae) in California. Insecta Mundi 2023 (4): 1-13, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1013444

Antibody response to a third SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine dose in recipients of an allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation

Allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) recipients show impaired antibody (Ab) response to a standard two-dose vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 and currently a third dose is recommended as part of the primary vaccination regimen. By assessing Ab titres 1 month after a third mRNA vaccine dose in 74 allo-HCT recipients we show sufficient neutralisation ac-tivity in 77% of the patients. Discontinuation of immunosuppression before the third vaccine led to serological responses in 50% of low responders to two vaccinations. Identifying factors that might contribute to better vaccine responses in allo-HCT recipients is critical to optimise current vaccination strategies.ISSN:0007-1048ISSN:1365-214