Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Photo#1170188
Parancistrocerus - Stenodynerus blandus - male

Parancistrocerus - Stenodynerus blandus - Male
Turnbull NWR, Spokane County, Washington, USA
September 23, 2008
Size: 8 mm

Images of this individual: tag all
Parancistrocerus - Stenodynerus blandus - male Parancistrocerus - Stenodynerus blandus - male Parancistrocerus - Stenodynerus blandus - male Parancistrocerus - Stenodynerus blandus - male Parancistrocerus - Stenodynerus blandus - male

Stenodynerus blandus
Moved from anormis-group. This species has the terminal segment of the male antenna entirely black (mostly light-coloured in blandoides).

Stenodynerus blandus or blandoides, male
Note truncate apical edge of clypeus, which is distinctive for the anormis species group.

Moved
Moved from Parancistrocerus.

 
According to Carpenter 2004...
...this really does key to Parancistrocerus Bequeart based on couplet 11 in Carpenter 2004 (1), which separates the 2 genera based on basal sculpturing of tergum II: ( tergum II smooth basally in Parancistrocerus rather than ridged basally as in Stenodynerus de Saussure). Is there another source that you are referring to for separating these genera? I notice that the literature referred to in Identification Atlas of the Vespidae (Hymenoptera, Aculeata) of the Northeastern Nearctic Region referred to is old, and perhaps outdated. I also notice that this key doesn't really provide any clear distinguishing marker for these 2 groups, and that the species key ID's them as one group.

 
Stenodynerus
The sculpturing at the base of T2 can be difficult to assess. The images you posted here don't really show this. There are also those species of Stenodynerus in which the base of T2 is almost completely smooth (e.g. S. krombeini, see http://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/bmc_05/bmc05images/keys/b7-41_42.jpg). this is the reason why I decided to take a different approach in my key in the Vespid Atlas. It is sometimes easier to get to a species than to accurately identify the genus first. The wasp you have here is either S. blandus or S. blandoides, which have a dictinctive clypeus and antennal hook. There is no species of Parancistrocerus with a truncate apical clypeal margin (it is always more or less emarginate, e.g.: http://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/bmc_05/bmc05images/species/c47-3.jpg). Later today I should be able to get you a species name for this wasp.
As for the base of T2 it should be distinctively sulptured in this wasp. This should be easier to see in dorsal view than in lateral view, e.g. http://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/bmc_05/bmc05images/keys/b7-14_16.jpg.

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.