Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
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
BugGuide Gathering
Pack Forest
Washington State
July 10-12, 2009
Details...

Photos from the 2009 gathering
 
Photos from the 2008 gathering in Tennessee
 
Photos from the 2007 gathering in Minnesota

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
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) » Yellowjackets, Paper Wasps, and Hornets; Potter, Mason and Pollen Wasps (Vespidae) » Paper Wasps (Polistinae) » Mischocyttarus » Mischocyttarus flavitarsis
Photo#67283
Mischocyttarus flavitarsis in search of caterpillars - Mischocyttarus flavitarsis - female
Copyright © 2006 saturdaze

Mischocyttarus flavitarsis in search of caterpillars - Mischocyttarus flavitarsis - Female
Mission Canyon, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County, California, USA
July 28, 2006
Thanks folks!!
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by saturdaze on 29 July, 2006 - 12:56am
Last updated 8 August, 2006 - 1:25pm

Actually...
this is not Polistes. The abdomen is slender and petiolate, which means it's a Polybiine Paper Wasp. They used to be considered a separate subfamily, but I think they are now classified within the Polistinae (Polybiini?). This is probably Mischocyttarus, and it might be M. mexicanus, but this is not my specialty group so you'll have to wait for confirmation at the genus level from someone else.
… Nick Fensler, 29 July, 2006 - 11:30am login or register to post comments

 
Mischocyttarus flavitarsis - female
Is the only one species of the West, from British Columbia southwards. Polybiini no longer exists even as a tribe name. Dependant founding Polistinae of Neotropical region are now classified in the tribe Epiponini of the Polistinae subfamily. Polybia belongs to this tribe, but not Mischocyttarus which is considered as a tribe of its own, just like Polistes.
… Richard Vernier, 29 July, 2006 - 2:04pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks Richard
I'm not up-to-date on my Vespid taxonomy...I guess you learn something new every day. I hadn't seen a reference to Polybiini in a long time time so it made me wonder if there were some changes.
… Nick Fensler, 29 July, 2006 - 4:04pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks for the ID
Thanks! You'd think if there were only one, I could know at least one :-) There's quite a bit of variablity in these wasps through the season. Of course, size, but also pattern. I've updated my original post with the corrected name.
… saturdaze, 29 July, 2006 - 2:09pm login or register to post comments

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

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2009 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by Iowa State University Entomology.

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Site Map
Contact