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Species Scolia nobilitata - Noble Scoliid Wasp
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps)
Superfamily Scolioidea
Family Scoliidae (Scoliid Wasps)
Tribe Scoliini
Genus Scolia
Species nobilitata (Noble Scoliid Wasp)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Scolia nobilitata nobilitata Fabricius, 1805
= Scolia ornata Smith, 1855 (1)
= Scolia maculata Guerin, 1838 (1)
= Scolia tricolor Klug, 1805 (1)
= Scolia bifasciata (Swederus, 1787) (1)(2)
Scolia nobilitata otomita Saussure, 1858
= Scolia fulviventris Bartlett, 1912 (2)
= Scolia otomita Saussure, 1858 (2)
= Scolia amoena Cresson, 1856 (1)(2)
Scolia nobilitata tricincta Say, 1823
= Scolia flavocostalis Cresson, 1868 (2)
= Scolia lecontei Cresson, 1868 (2)
= Scolia lewisii Cresson, 1868 (2)
= Scolia ridingsii Cresson, 1865 (2)
= Scolia inconstans Cresson, 1865 (2)
= Scolia tricincta Say, 1823 (1)Explanation of Names nobilitata = from the Latin nōbilitāta ('ennobled')
Numbers 3 sspp. are recognized: (2)(1)
1. S. nobilitata nobilitata: Upper and Lower Austral Life Zones (MA to FL, west to CO and TX)
2. S. nobilitata otomita: western (AZ, CA, NV)
3. S. nobilitata tricincta: western (AZ, CO, w. KS, NM, w. TX) Identification Small scoliid with dark wings and reddish legs; abdomen dark, generally with 4-6 light yellow/orange spots.
Overview of Species
Subspecies are separated as follows: (4)
1. S. nobilitata nobilitata: wings very smoky, paired spots only on T2-T3 (rarely T1) with variable red markings
♀ -no photo- ♂  
2. S. nobilitata otomita: wings not very smoky, abdomen with T3-6 extensively yellow, T1-2 unmarked
3. S. nobilitata tricincta: wings not very smoky, abdominal markings variable but at least T2-T4 with yellow spots. This subspecies can also approach the patterns found in Colpa (Colpa) octomaculata texensis, though typically spots on at least T4 are fused into a band. Range across so. US ( map); Ontario Food Larva feed on grubs (Scarab larvae). Remarks Typocerus lunulatus may be a mimic.
There are also similarly patterned pompilids in the genus Anoplius. See Also A similar species in the eastern range, Pygodasis quadrimaculata is much larger and has black legs (rather than red). It also has two recurrent veins in the forewing rather than one.
  A similar species in the western range, Colpa pollenifera is readily separated by the strong metallic blue reflections in the wings not found in any of the western subspecies. It also has both two recurrent veins in the forewing rather than one and three submarginal cells rather than two. Works Cited | 1. | Catalog of Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico
Karl V. Krombein, Paul D. Hurd, Jr., David R. Smith, and B. D. Burks. 1979. Smithsonian Institution Press. | |
| 2. | Checkliste der Dolchwespen der Welt (Insecta: Hymenoptera, Scoliidae)
von Till Osten. 2005. Bericht der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft Augsburg, 62: 1–62. | |
| 4. | Scoliid Wasps of the Southwestern United States
MacKay W.P. 1987. Southwestern Naturalist 32(3): 357-362. | |
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