Help with ID - Pygodasis ephippium

Campsomeris ephippium, female

Campsomeris ephippium and C. quadrimaculata are closely related, but do not have overlapping ranges. C. quadrimaculata apparently used to occur in Eastern Texas, but the last collection records are over 80 years old from very few specimens (surprising since it's a large wasp). I've never found that species in Texas despite intensive collecting.

Moved from Campsomeris quadrimaculata.

… George Waldren, 3 April, 2011 - 6:54pm

Campsomeris quadrimaculata - female

Eric's insight was right. This wasp is way too large for Scolia nobilitata, and this latter has at least the legs partly of a dark rusty red.
This large Campsomeris species is quite tricky in having deep bluish wings and wholly black head and mesosoma ("thorax") just like true Scolia do.
But head of the females (like this one) is distinctly less stout in proportion.
Thank you for sharing this superb shot. BTW, species name (like "nobilitata" or *quadrimaculata" are always written first letter shortcase, contrary to the genus.

… Richard Vernier, 10 February, 2009 - 2:37pm

Campsomeris quadrimaculata

Thank you Richard for the comments.
Lora

… lorarend, 10 February, 2009 - 8:10pm

Range?

This is from central Texas. The info page says range is "Throughout Southeastern United States." That is evidently quoted from a paper about the wasp in Florida, where it was probably not intended as a restriction on range but as a way of saying "far beyond Florida."

What is the range of the species?

… John F. Carr, 10 February, 2009 - 7:19pm

Approximate range in the United States...

includes at least the Gulf States (East and South only in TX), SC and NC, and Southern parts of AK and TN. San Antonio is close to the Western limit of this range.

… Richard Vernier, 11 February, 2009 - 7:43am

check Scolia nobilitata

… v belov, 10 February, 2009 - 12:44pm

Scolia Nobilitata

Thank you for the ID. It's always interesting to find a specimen while out shooting photographs of Butterflies. Some of the colors are just astounding to me.
Lora

… lorarend, 10 February, 2009 - 1:13pm

Not so sure.

Not so sure about the species. Can you give an approximate size? S. nobilitata is relatively small compared to some of the other scoliids.

… Eric R. Eaton, 10 February, 2009 - 2:08pm

Scolia Nobilitata

Eric,
I would have to say roughly 3 inches in size.
Lora

… lorarend, 10 February, 2009 - 4:32pm