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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Cuckoo Wasps & allies (Chrysidoidea) » Flat Wasps (Bethylidae) » Pristocerinae » Pristepyris » Pristepyris armiferus
Photo#161871
Pristocera armifera - Pristepyris armiferus - male
Copyright © 2007 John R. Maxwell

Pristocera armifera - Pristepyris armiferus - Male
Marlton, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA
October 3, 2007
Size: Maybe around 9 mm?
At one time I think I had an idea what this is (or close anyway). Either I was wrong, I forgot, or an entire section of the guide has disappeared! Now all I can say is "Wasp"? If I thought it was female I could rule out things with ovipositors, but I'm not sure of anything other than 1) Big dimpled head 2) Wasp waisted

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Pristocera armifera - Pristepyris armiferus - male Pristocera armifera - Pristepyris armiferus - male Pristocera armifera - Pristepyris armiferus - male
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Contributed by John R. Maxwell on 21 December, 2007 - 2:35pm
Last updated 3 January, 2008 - 10:57pm

Moved
Moved from Bethylidae.
… John R. Maxwell, 3 January, 2008 - 10:56pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Tiphiid Wasps.
… John R. Maxwell, 22 December, 2007 - 1:06pm login or register to post comments

Yes.
This looks to be a 'tiphiioid' thing, probably a male. My first guess would be family Tiphiidae, but I'm not even 100% positive of 'that!' Nice images should ensure evenutal positive ID.
… Eric R. Eaton, 21 December, 2007 - 2:39pm login or register to post comments

 
My impression is the same, ma
My impression is the same, male Tiphiidae. The rugose punctation on the head and the complex wing venation point in that direction.
… Dennis Haines, 21 December, 2007 - 3:51pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks guys
Thank you both, I'll move over there and see if anything comes of it.
… John R. Maxwell, 21 December, 2007 - 5:09pm login or register to post comments

 
I'm pretty sure this one is in fact....
a Bethylid male (Bethylidae, subfamily Mesitiinae). This subfamily contains exceptionnally large Bethylids, with heavily punctuated head and often a metallic hue, just like this one wasp. What can be seen of forewing venation seems to me not to be "complex" enough for a Tiphiid, while arched "radial" or marginal" vein matches very well with typical Bethylid venation. So does shape of bottleneck-like pronotum and short mesoscutum, with both straight "notauli".
… Richard Vernier, 22 December, 2007 - 11:04am login or register to post comments

 
New image added
I have done horrible unspeakable things in photoshop to try and bring out more wing detail. I thought it might help?
… John R. Maxwell, 23 December, 2007 - 8:49am login or register to post comments

 
I can see why I would have mi
I can see why I would have missed that. Evans (Bethylidae of America north of Mexico) doesn't list any members of the Mesitiinae being present in our region. We supposedly only had the other three subfamilies present.
… Dennis Haines, 22 December, 2007 - 4:49pm login or register to post comments

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