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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Scolioidea » Scoliid Wasps (Scoliidae) » Colpa » Eight-spotted Scoliid Wasp (Colpa octomaculata)

Species Colpa octomaculata - Eight-spotted Scoliid Wasp

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · See Also · Print References · Works Cited

Possible wasp - Colpa octomaculata - male

#6 Sexual Behavior of - Colpa octomaculata - male

Trielis octomaculata (Say) - Colpa octomaculata - female

Trielis octomaculata (Say) - Colpa octomaculata - male

Female Myzinum? - Colpa octomaculata - female

Colpa octomaculata texensis? - Colpa octomaculata - female

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)

Genus Colpa

Species octomaculata (Eight-spotted Scoliid Wasp)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Colpa octomaculata (Say 1823)

Trielis octomaculata

Explanation of Names

octomaculata = 'eight-spotted' (refers to female abdominal pattern)

Numbers

3 sspp. in our area;(1) 4 sspp. worldwide:(2)

1. C. octomaculata hermione: Austroriparian / eastern (AL, e. AR, DE, FL, GA, IL, e. LA, MD, se. MO, MS, NC, NJ, SC, VA)

2. C. octomaculata octomaculata: Upper Austral life / west of Allegheny Mountains (AR, ne. CO, IA, w. IL, LA, MN, MO, ND, w. OK, SD, w. TX, w, WY)

3. C. octomaculata texensis: Upper and Lower Sonoran Zones / southwestern (AZ, s. CA, CO, KS, NM, OK, TX)

Identification

yellow abdominal bands may vary in thickness slightly; usually it's yellow maculation on black background, but some individuals may have a significant amount of red.

♂

♀

western varieties have more red vs. black on the body, legs and head (per Bob Biagi's 6.vi.2017 comment)

Overview of Species

Subspecies are separated following Bradley (1928):

1. C. octomaculata hermione: legs black, body black without red markings, fringe on abdominal segments coppery and inconspicuous, smaller (10-15 mm)

2. C. octomaculata octomaculata: legs red, head usually red, body dark, fringe on abdominal segments black and not conspicuous, larger (23-25 mm)

3. C. octomaculata texensis: legs red, head red, body red-marked, fringe on abdominal segments coppery and conspicuous, smaller (18-20 mm)

Range

sw US, se seaboard (BG data)

See Also

Colpa (Crioscolia) alcione is another spotted species whose males can be very similar apart from the structure of the antennae.

Colpa (Crioscolia) flammicoma females may be dearly identical in coloration to western specimens of C. (Colpa) octomaculata.

Print References

Bradley, J.C. (1928) A revision of the New World species of Trielis a subgenus of Campsomeris (Hymenoptera: Scoliidae). Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 54: 195–214 + plate 22. (Full Text)

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.

Contributed by Hartmut Wisch on 29 June, 2009 - 11:46pm
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, waspGeorge, v belov, Robert H. Biagi, PaleoJon
Last updated 31 March, 2024 - 3:51am

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