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Photo#141110
Tiphiid or Sphecid? - Philanthus gibbosus

Tiphiid or Sphecid? - Philanthus gibbosus
Richards Rd, Just w. of Prosser, Benton County, Washington, USA
July 4, 2007
Size: 12mm
I've always struggled w/telling these 2 groups apart. Somebody please help me! Is it all about the waist? Anyways, this is one of my small wasp species that coat my goldenrod, yarrow, and echinops in the summer.

Moved
Moved from Beewolves.

Moved
Moved from Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps.
Next time you can move it yourself after somebody knowledgeable has IDed it. It is satisfying to you and save the editors some time. If you don't know how we can help you or: Tag it, go to the right page (Images, not Info)in the guide and click on move tagged image.

Would you consider Eucerceris?
Both of you, Eric and Richard, have loads more experience than I, so 'chapeau' (hats off to you). However, looking at the transverse tergal depressions I recall Eucerceris ; at least Gorytes , now in Bembicinae, doesn't have those. Enlarging the image, it looks like the abdomen might be punctate as in Philanthinae, with which Eucerceris sits taxonomically.

 
No, I wouldn't:-)
Cerceris and Eucerceris are also in the Philanthinae of course, and the constrictions between abdominal segments seem to be common to at least some members of all those genera under that subfamily. Cerceris and Eucerceris almost never have a tapered abdomen, though, among other differences.

Philanthus beewolf.
This is a species in the genus Philanthus (family Crabronidae). I know because of experience, and the obviously rough sculpturing of the abdominal integument.

 
I agree - my mistake
How didn't I think to these omnipresent Beewolves?

Waist can be misleading
Because, while fairly constant in Tiphiids, its shape is very variable among Crabronids (which were included in Sphecids until very recently, hence the categrory "traditional Sphecids" in BG).
Based on slenderness of legs, which contrasts with hairy, knoty legs of most Tiphiids, I would guess this one Wasp is a Crabronid from the Gorytini tribe.

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