These are images of a
Cuckoo Wasp, that is most likely a female
Chrysura sagmatis.
ID Info:
Keying to Subfamily and Tribe of Western North American Chrysididae: (Kimsey 2014)(1)
1. - Metasoma with four or fewer segments in males and three in females; sternum flat or concave; face above antenna sockets flat or concave, usually with well developed scalpal basin; pronotum not narrowed submedially and without transverse groove, instead with narrow collar followed by subquadrate disk (Subfamily
Chrysidinae) = 2
2. - Tongue not elongate nor tubular, fitting closely in oral fossa; metasoma with three external segments in both sexes; apical tergum apically rounded, medially notched or with one to six well-developed teeth or lobes, without two large lateral subapical foveae = 3
3. - Tarsal claws edentate; apical tergum with subapical pit row; mesopluron with horizontal scrobal sulcus; occiput with transverse welt or carina above foramen, often ending in one small tooth = Tribe
Chrysididini (Chrysidini)
Keying to Genera of Tribe Chrysidini:
1. - Tergum
T3 apical rim without teeth or angles = 2
2. -
T3 apical rim, if notched, without lateral angle; transverse frontal carina various = 3
3. -
T3 apical rim edentate or rarely with a weak lateral angle; face unusually flattened and completely granulate-punctate without fine median cross-ridging, no transverse frontal carina = Genus
Chrysura Dahlborn
Keying to Species of Genus Chrysura:
1. - Malar space more than 2x MOD long (midocellus diameter); propodeal angles strongly projecting, forming acute angle = 2
2. - Interocellar distance between hind ocelli equal to or slightly less than ocellocular distance = 3
3. -
T3 posterior margin slightly concave, straight or convex, with or without slight to moderately developed swelling and saddle preceding pit row viewed in profile = 4
4. -
T2 medially about 2.5x as long as flagellomere
F1 and 0.6x as long as broad or less; female
T3 apical margin straight or slightly concave (Fig. 94); body usually longer than 3.5mm long = Species
sagmatis Bohart 1982
Descriptions: (copied from the above key)
Hosts: A large number of Megachilid species [Bees] have been recorded as hosts for
sagmatis, including various genera, mostly in the Tribe
Osmiini.
Discussion: Similar to
sonorensis,
sagmatis differs in having close fine punctation on
T2, giving it a dull granular appearance.
T3 in profile is slightly saddled in males and distinctly so in females, without a transverse bulge behind the saddle and the apical margin is nearly straight to very slightly concave in females.
Distribution: This Cuckoo Wasp has been reported from central Oregon and Idaho, throughout California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, parts of Colorado and New Mexico, western Texas and northern Mexico.