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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Vespoidea » Hornets, Yellowjackets; Paper, Potter, Mason, and Pollen Wasps; and Allies (Vespidae) » Paper Wasps (Polistinae) » Umbrella Paper Wasps (Polistes) » Subgenus Fuscopolistes (Polistes Subgenus Fuscopolistes) » Fine-backed Red Paper Wasp (Polistes carolina)
Photo#881566
red spider wasp ? - Polistes carolina - male
Copyright © 2014 nature4me

red spider wasp ? - Polistes carolina - Male
Highland Haven, Burnet County, Texas, USA
November 14, 2013

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red spider wasp ? - Polistes carolina - male red spider wasp ? - Polistes carolina - male
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Contributed by nature4me on 4 January, 2014 - 6:06pm
Last updated 5 January, 2014 - 5:49pm

Polistes carolina
The colour pattern is unusual in that the abdomen is usually completely red, without brownish sections.
… Matthias Buck, 5 January, 2014 - 5:51pm login or register to post comments

 
Could it be a Tachypompilus f
Could it be a Tachypompilus ferrugineus ? DK
… nature4me, 5 January, 2014 - 7:04pm login or register to post comments

 
Note the longitudinally folded wings...
...which mark this as a Vespid. Compare with the wings of T. ferrugineus, which lie flat on the back.



There are other differences as well, but that's one easy way to separate the two families.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 5 January, 2014 - 7:12pm login or register to post comments

 
I did not know this....thanks
I did not know this....thanks for the tidbit...DK
… nature4me, 6 January, 2014 - 5:09am login or register to post comments

 
Wings
Ken is right: except for the pollen wasps (Masarinae), all vespids fold their wings when at rest. No other wasp family does this.
… Matthias Buck, 5 January, 2014 - 7:42pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Polistes.
… Matthias Buck, 5 January, 2014 - 5:50pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Ken Wolgemuth, 4 January, 2014 - 6:47pm login or register to post comments

 
One other thing, the antennae
One other thing, the antennae on this wasp seem to be black bands crossed with pale red/brown rings rather than a solid black area. DK
… nature4me, 6 January, 2014 - 5:23am login or register to post comments

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