Scoliid Wasp - Pygodasis ephippium

Moved

… George Waldren, 17 February, 2010 - 11:03pm

Moved

… George Waldren, 29 September, 2009 - 9:20pm

*Likely Campsomeris ephippium

Just thought I'd make a note in the meantime, so anyone that was curious about this would be updated. I haven't seen any specimens from AZ, and I'm not 100% on the species due to that.

C. ephippium ranges from south Texas to Ecuador. This could be a new Arizona record if it is indeed that species (very likely is).

… George Waldren, 12 September, 2009 - 11:45pm

Moving to family page for now...

… Ken Schneider, 1 June, 2009 - 11:52am

Difficult to tell -- likely Campsomeris sp.

It is doubtful we can get this to species from a photograph alone, and there aren't any scoliid specialists in the Western hemisphere that I know of. The Mexican species are also poorly known.

There are several regional keys to United States scoliids, including one for the Southwest. Let me know if you would like a pdf of it.

Definitely grab a specimen next time you see one!

… George Waldren, 25 April, 2009 - 9:02pm

Re: Difficult to tell -- likely Campsomeris sp.

George:
I'll take you up on the offer of the pdf for the southwest.
My e-mail is: hbrodkin@cox.net . Thanks!

Hank Brodkin

… Hank Brodkin, 26 April, 2009 - 4:13am

nice

Whatever it is, it's a neat looking wasp. Did you get any vertical shots? That would work well on the "stalks".

… Andrew Williams, 25 April, 2009 - 1:28pm

nice

Andy:
I'm afraid I only got a couple of shots, both on the sedges. I am sorry I did not take the insect. While I am not a collector myself (too lazy), the image caused a stir as far away as the University of Arizona curator of entomology (Carl Olson). No one seemed to know exactly what species it was, although one of my entofriends (Patrick Sullivan)said he collected something close down in Mexico. Noel MacFarland is the fellow who collected one on his property in Ash Canyon, south of here, a couple of weeks ago. He also was puzzled over this. Eric Eaton, a wasp expert and the coauthor of the Kaufman Insect Field Guide, is the fellow who provided the probable generic name.

Hank Brodkin
hbrodkin@cox.net

… Hank Brodkin, 25 April, 2009 - 1:52pm