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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps » Vespoidea » Yellowjackets, Paper Wasps, and Hornets; Potter, Mason and Pollen Wasps (Vespidae) » Pollen Wasps (Masarinae) » Pseudomasaris » Pseudomasaris coquilletti
Photo#53130
Pseudomasaris coquilletti - female
Copyright © 2006 Hartmut Wisch

Pseudomasaris coquilletti - Female
Lockwood Valley Road near Wagonroad Canyon, Ventura County, California, USA
May 18, 2006
Size: ~16mm
Based on the club-shaped antennae, as well as wing venation (for both see (1) page 513), this should be another Pseudomasaris.
An earlier submission of another, larger species, prompted Eric Eaton to draw attention to the unique antennal shape. (See 1,and 2)
Seen here nectaring on Asclepias vestita. If this species is also associated with Penstemon, they are just beginning to bloom. I'll check up on that in the next couple of weeks.

Species ID by Doug Yanega (Dept. of Entomology, Entomology Research Museum, UC Riverside, CA)
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Contributed by Hartmut Wisch on 21 May, 2006 - 12:39am
Last updated 2 June, 2006 - 2:06pm

male
According to Howard E. Evans, only males have clubbed antenae.
… Adalbert Goertz, 11 April, 2007 - 8:45pm login or register to post comments

 
Well,
I don't think that Evans meant this categorically. One of the diagnostic characters of Masarinae (at least in North America) is a clavate (club-shaped) antenna. Those of males are just considerably bigger and more spectacular than the antennae of females. We have a couple of images of males on bugguide; for an example see here: 1 .
I don't have time to look it up right now, but I'm certain that a careful reading of H.E. Evans will yield the same results.
… Hartmut Wisch, 11 April, 2007 - 9:08pm login or register to post comments

Superb shot
Showing the long mouthparts (essentially the glossa of the labium) of this female "diving" into a flower to reach the nectar.
Males should also be present in the area, but likely more difficult to spot and still more to "capture", especially in such an impressive way.
… Richard Vernier, 21 May, 2006 - 12:33pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks,
I was glad to see another Pseudomasaris, and to have a relatively 'cooperative' subject. Penstemon centranthifolius is beginning to bloom in the area, and I wonder whether I'll see these pollen wasps feeding in those flowers.
… Hartmut Wisch, 22 May, 2006 - 1:13pm login or register to post comments

 
Cooperative or just caught?
This insect may be caught up in the milkweed's pollinarium.... Great shot at any rate. Mike
… Mike Quinn, 1 November, 2006 - 5:44pm login or register to post comments

 
Probably not caught
in this case, it soon changed position.
… Hartmut Wisch, 1 November, 2006 - 5:59pm login or register to post comments

 
Exquisite.
I'm running out of adjectives to compliment your images with:-) Yes, you should see Pseudomasaris females gathering pollen from the Penstemon. Be on the lookout for males, too. They have bizarre, long, clubbed antennae.
… Eric R. Eaton, 22 May, 2006 - 3:59pm login or register to post comments

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