Species Ceratogastra ornata

Ceratogastra apicalis (Cresson, 1865)

Ceratogastra polita (Say, 1836)

Ceratogastra trifasciata Cushman, 1927

MA-ON-WI-FL-CA; Mexico(1)

Host: Feltia sp.?, cutworm(1)

Mimic of Poecilopompilus.

"There is considerable regional variation in color. Specimens from New England and adjacent parts of New York are darkest, from which area the populations are progressively paler toward the west and south. Darker individuals have the ground color blackish brown, which towards the south and the west becomes fulvous brown or fulvous. Yellow markings are most restricted in the northeastern part of the range, most extensive in the west. Specimens from Arizona and New Mexico have the yellow bands on the abdomen unusually wide, but the yellow on the thorax of only moderate extent. In New England and adjacent parts of New York, the yellow banding on the abdomen is usually restricted to the basal 3-5 tergites. The wings are rather uniformly brown, except that in specimens from the Great Plains and foothills of the Rocky Mts. the apex of the front wing is hyaline." -- Townes & Townes, 1978

Four subspecies have been recognized:

Ceratogastra ornata apicalis - all tergites with yellow band; apex of forewing hyaline

Ceratogastra ornata ornata - all tergites with yellow band; forewings uniformly deep-yellow pigmented

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Ceratogastra ornata polita - only T1-T2 with yellow band

Ceratogastra ornata trifasciata - T1-T3 with yellow band; apex of wing strongly darkened