Tarantula Hawk wasp? - Hemipepsis ustulata

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Spider Wasps, Velvet Ants and allies (Pompiloidea) » Spider Wasps (Pompilidae) » Pepsinae » Tarantula-hawk Wasps and Allies (Pepsini) » Tarantula-hawk Wasps (Hemipepsis) » Flamed Tarantula-hawk Wasp (Hemipepsis ustulata)

Photo#1322491

Copyright © 2016 Trileigh Tucker

Tarantula Hawk wasp? - Hemipepsis ustulata -

Palm Canyon, Agua Caliente Reservation (approx 33.736008, -116.537683), Riverside County, California, USA
December 7, 2016
Size: Approx. 1.5"

I am a novice at bug ID, and am thinking that this may be a Pepsis sp.? I compared her wing patterns to those on the excellent chart (image 703332) by Ken-ichi Ueda and these seem more like Pepsis than Hemipepsis. Thanks for your ID help.

She walked calmly across this rock as four of us watched, stopping to groom her antennae. Fascinating creature!

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Tarantula Hawk wasp? - Hemipepsis ustulata - female

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Contributed by Trileigh Tucker on 13 December, 2016 - 2:18pm
Last updated 25 February, 2017 - 9:01am

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… John S. Ascher, 17 December, 2016 - 3:05am

Female - Tarantula Hawk Wasp

Note the all-black body, without any blueish reflections. = not Pepsis
On the wings, the discal cell is very long, extending far beyond the base of the marginal cell and the apex meets the base of the third sub-marginal cell. Also, the marginal cell apex is almost perpendicular to the costa. = not Pepsis
This is a female Hemipepsis ustulata. (widespread central and south-western range) 10 flagellomeres = ♀

… Bob Biagi, 13 December, 2016 - 2:37pm

Thanks for your explanation a

Thanks for your explanation and ID, Bob, I appreciate it.

… Trileigh Tucker, 13 December, 2016 - 3:48pm

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