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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea sans Anthophila – Apoid Wasps » Square-headed Wasps, Sand Wasps, and Allies (Crabronidae) » Crabroninae » Square-headed Wasps (Crabronini) » Crabronina » Crossocerus » Subgenus Blepharipus (Crossocerus Subgenus Blepharipus) » Crossocerus nitidiventris
Photo#214928
Square-headed Wasp - Crossocerus nitidiventris - female
Copyright © 2008 tom murray

Square-headed Wasp - Crossocerus nitidiventris - Female
Groton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA
August 2, 2008
Came to the porch light.
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Contributed by tom murray on 17 August, 2008 - 12:23pm
Last updated 23 March, 2025 - 11:32am

Moved
Moved from Crabro.
… Matthias Buck, 18 August, 2008 - 8:20am login or register to post comments

Crossocerus nitidiventris, female (MA)
After checking the collection I have to revise my ID. This is C. nitidiventris. It is an unusual species in its genus because of the yellow markings on the abdomen (only present in one other species). What makes this this wasp distinctive is: yellow spots on smooth area of propodeum, yellow prepectus (that's the area just behind the pronotal lobe), rounded pronotal angles (excludes many other crabronines with similar markings), and yellow spots of similar size on terga 2-5. Excellent find, Tom! This is quite a rare species!
… Matthias Buck, 17 August, 2008 - 3:59pm login or register to post comments

 
That's great!
When I see these different wasps, I'm not familiar enough with them to know if it's a common species I've seen many times, or something rare like this.
Matthias thanks for going to your collecyion to identify this one. I don't think anyone else that visits bugguide would have been able to get the species on this one.
… tom murray, 18 August, 2008 - 8:33am login or register to post comments

Crabro
To my knowledge there are no Ectemnius with yellow spots on the propodeum in the NE (this also rules out Lestica). Should be a Crabro then, perhaps in the hilaris species group.
… Matthias Buck, 17 August, 2008 - 3:58pm login or register to post comments

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