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Photo#1278206
High Elevation Pollen Wasp - Pseudomasaris zonalis - female

High Elevation Pollen Wasp - Pseudomasaris zonalis - Female
On rocky slopes adjacent to creek course between upper & lower McAfee Meadow, east of Barcroft Station, White Mountains, Mono County, California, USA
July 30, 2016
For more complete info on this post, see remarks under 1st image in this series.

Note the two small yellow spots at the posterior tip of the scutellum.

Also, the small yellow patches & small teeth at the posterior corners of the propodeum (which don't fit the description of marginalis, as black and rounded).

That the pale tergal bands here are relatively narrow fits marginalis better (the bands are described as wider and typically continuously smooth in zonalis)...but the yellow color suggest zonalis (vs. whitish in marginalis).

For comparison, below are side-by-side thumbnails showing the dorsum of females of: 1) what I think is "good" zonalis; 2) what Hartmut referred to as a melanistic form of zonalis; 3) my post here; and 4) a reference specimen of marginalis posted by Hartmut:

       

My post seems somewhat intermediate between the "melanistic zonalis" and the reference post of marginalis...but closer to the former.

Images of this individual: tag all
High Elevation Pollen Wasp - Pseudomasaris zonalis - female High Elevation Pollen Wasp - Pseudomasaris zonalis - female High Elevation Pollen Wasp - Pseudomasaris zonalis - female High Elevation Pollen Wasp - Pseudomasaris zonalis - female

Moved
Moved from Pseudomasaris.

Hi Aaron,
Agree with P. zonalis because propodeum dentate, not lamellate as in marginalis.
I think your male is also zonalis. Will get to that later today. Have to pick up grandkids now.

 
Thanks, Hartmut
...was hoping you'd see the post and give your perspective. It just seemed *so* melanistic to me that, for a while, I though it had to be P. marginalis.

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