Species Pepsis grossa

Pompilius formosus Say, 1823

Pepsis formosa (Say, 1823)

Pepsis nephele Lucas, 1894

Pepsis obliquerugosa Lucas, 1895

Pepsis psuedoformosa Cockerell, 1898

Pepsis pattoni Banks, 1941

Pepsis grossa (Fabricius, 1798)

Body length usually 30-51 mm ♀, 24-40 mm ♂(1)

Very large, with two color forms: Orange-winged (xanthic) and black-winged (melanic). The two color forms are not often seen in the same locality. Melanic forms are easily confused with Pepsis mexicana, but that species is always much smaller in size than P. grossa.

Males of P. grossa are unique in the genus in having only 12 antennal segments (scape, pedicel, and 10 flagellomeres). Males of all other Pepsis species have 13 antennal segments (or equivalently, 11 flagellomeres)(1). Males are additionally characterized by having thicker, straighter antennae that don't curl and 7 visible abdominal segments.

Females of P. grossa are distinguished from all of our species except P. arizonica by having long, bristle-like hairs on the underside of the fore femur. Females have 12 antennal segments (scape, pedicel, and 10 flagellomeres) like the males of the species and like the females of other species. Females are additionally characterized by having narrower antennae that can be curled and 6 visible abdominal segments.

Formerly known by the name Pepsis formosa, until synonymized with P. grossa in 2002 by Vardy(1).

Vardy(1)(2002)...see Part 2: pg. 58

Hurd(2)(1952)...as P. formosa, see pg 283.