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Photo#248278
Bembix americana spinolae? - Bembix americana

Bembix americana spinolae? - Bembix americana
Cache Creek Nature Preserve near Woodland " 38°41'26.79N, 121°52'31.93""W" , Yolo County, California, USA
November 17, 2008
Size: 16mm
collected on Baccharis pilularis, Coyote Brush. This wasp was with hundreds of honeybees and other types of wasps as this was the only real plant blooming at the time.

I am having trouble identifying this one as the legs are mostly yellow, the color bands are baby blue in flight, and the eyes have the yellow ring around the back edges.

I am a neophyte and would love it if someone could point me in the right direction. I did go through a ton of the images of wasps but I am not really sure what this is. The closest seems to be the Arctic Yellowjacket or maybe a type of Sand Wasp.

Thanks :)

Images of this individual: tag all
Bembix americana spinolae? - Bembix americana Bembix americana spinolae? - Bembix americana - female

Moved
Moved from Bembix.

Bembix americana spinolae?
Thanks Tim and Eric for your assistance once again. It appears that I have a Bembix americana spinolae. Is this a safe bet in your opinion? I notice that the Data page shows only Canada and Colorado as areas where this is found. Is that just because the only people that have submited information are from those areas or am I on the wrong trail?

 
Bembix americana
Spinolae is an eastern subspecies of Bembix americana. The subspecies that occurs in California is comata. Spinolae has the pale spots on the posterior terga separate, in comata they are fused medially (as in your picture). Your wasp looks a lot like B. a. comata but I don't know which species are similar and might be confused.

 
I say tomta, you say comata ;)
Thanks for the help in identifying this beauty. I have downloaded the PDF on "California Bembicine Sand Wasps" by Bohart and Horning Jr. I am attempting to understand the differences between spinolae and comata better. As a beginner I keep looking to the blue bands. All the comata info seems to say "yellow". This is definitely a blue like spinolae. Do you know if I am just misunderstanding, and blue banded variants are common too?

Thanks for the help. :)

Bembix!
Just after I posted this I discovered Bembix in my field guide on my desk. Murphy's Law:)

Thanks for the kind help, and now I have some reading up to do. I look forward to getting some live shots this spring.

Thanks!

Probably Philanthus...
a crabonid wasp.. see here These things prey on bees (which is probably why you see them hanging out near them). Wait for expert opinion though for confirmation (there are a couple here that I know of).
And I think the units for size are wrong (mm not cm?) unless there's indeed a gigantic wasp you have there (16 cm= 6 inch+).. ;-)

 
Huh?
This is clearly a female Bembix sand wasp (note tarsal "rake" of spines on front 'feet').

 
oops..
i stand corrected...

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