Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Photo#122021
Blue Wasp - Aporus

Blue Wasp - Aporus
Laguna Beach; Top of the World, Orange County, California, USA
June 26, 2007
Size: ~7mm

Images of this individual: tag all
Blue Wasp - Aporus Blue Wasp - Aporus Blue Wasp - Aporus Blue Wasp - Aporus

Blue Wasp
Sorry, I don't know what you mean about the femur, but here are some more views!

 
In comparison to Psorthaspis
The other comparably sized spider wasp found in California in this tribe (Aporini) is in the genus Psorthaspis. It is one of the dark Psorthaspis (P. planat) and is superficially similar to the western Aporus species. It's easy to tell them apart here in the east, the females have orange markings to one extent or another...Aporus never does. However, a difference between the two (in females) is the thickened front femur in Aporus (not so in Psorthaspis. The best difference between the two are the number of submarginal cells in the anterior wing (Psorthaspis with three, Aporus with two), but that character is rarely visible in photos because of how iridescent the wings are.