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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) » Pompilinae » Sericopompilini » Sericopompilus » Sericopompilus neotropicalis
Photo#1801029
Spider Wasp? - Sericopompilus neotropicalis - male
Copyright © 2020 Jim Moore

Spider Wasp? - Sericopompilus neotropicalis - Male
Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego County, California, USA
Size: about 15mm
Date: 1973

Not real sure on this peculiar looking wasp; but maybe a spider wasp? See here: (1).
Ant further ID help is appreciated - thank you.
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Contributed by Jim Moore on 16 April, 2020 - 10:03pm
Last updated 24 April, 2020 - 5:04pm

Moved
Moved from Spider Wasps.
… Bob Biagi, 24 April, 2020 - 5:04pm login or register to post comments

Male
I think that this is probably a male wasp, but it's hard to be sure, because you cut off the antennae in this view. Shucks! (abdomen thinner than thorax width = ♂) Does he have a white-colored abdomen tip?
Most of the time, when keying the Spider Wasps, we usually need to know the gender. The white stripes on the pronotum, scutum, tibiae and tarsi are helpful though, as well as the wing patterns.
Keying of the males in (1), takes me to the genus Sericopompilus. I'm not sure which species are available in California.
See here Sericopompilus neotropicalis: ♂ BOLD has one specimen of that species, but I'm not sure where it was collected. The females have all-red abdomens and all-dark shading of the wings.
… Bob Biagi, 23 April, 2020 - 2:50pm login or register to post comments

 
Thank you Bob...
... for your help with this small spider wasp! It is very much appreciated. I re-photoed the specimen which is nicer than the previous photo. The antennae broke off 30+ years ago amongst all the moving i did way back then. The tip of the abdomen is pale brown; although it may have been whiter back in 1973. The following link says that the only Sericopompilus species in CA is Sericopompilus neotropicalis: California Spider Wasps of the Subfamily Pompilinae .... So I Suppose that is what this specimen is. Again thank you for your ID help!

I posted this other very similar looking small spider wasp; but I think it is species Episyron conterminus posterus (1):

Would you agree?
… Jim Moore, 24 April, 2020 - 4:35pm login or register to post comments

 
Yes
That is a male. The white apical spines on his legs are very unique to that subspecies.
… Bob Biagi, 24 April, 2020 - 5:01pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps.
… John S. Ascher, 18 April, 2020 - 11:32pm login or register to post comments

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