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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps » Ants, Stinging Wasps, and Hornets (Vespoidea) » Spider Wasps (Pompilidae) » Tarantula Hawks (Hemipepsis)

Genus Hemipepsis - Tarantula Hawks

Classification · Other Common Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Another Pepsis of some kind? - Hemipepsis ustulata Wasp in Zion National Park - Hemipepsis Pepsis ?? - Hemipepsis ustulata Pepsis ?? - Hemipepsis ustulata - female Pompilid ?? - Hemipepsis Spider Wasp - Hemipepsis ustulata Pompilid ?? - Hemipepsis ustulata Pompilid ?? - Hemipepsis ustulata
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps)
Superfamily Vespoidea (Ants, Stinging Wasps, and Hornets)
Family Pompilidae (Spider Wasps)
Genus Hemipepsis (Tarantula Hawks)
Other Common Names
Tarantula Wasps
Numbers
Nearctica.com and Arnett (1) list four North American species in the genus.
Size
12-20 mm (usu. smaller than Pepsis?) (2)
Identification
Apparently virtually identical to Pepsis, and distinguishable only based on wing venation.
For wing venation read this comment by Nick Fensler.
Remarks
Both Hemipepsis and Pepsis are called "Tarantula Hawks." The genera are indistuinguishable in the field and have very similar life histories. See account for Pepsis.
Print References
Milne has photo of Hemipepsis sp.--#458, describes, p. 839. (2)
Internet References
Univ. Calif. Riverside Insect FAQ--describes biology of Pepsis and Hemipepsis as identical, says genera difficult to distinguish (based on wing venation).
Works Cited
1.American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico
By Ross H. Arnett
2.National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects and Spiders
By Lorus and Margery Milne
Contributed by Cotinis on 25 May, 2004 - 1:41am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset
Last updated 24 October, 2006 - 12:00pm

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