Flying insect with orange wings - Pepsis pallidolimbata - BugGuide.Net

Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Spider Wasps, Velvet Ants and allies (Pompiloidea) » Spider Wasps (Pompilidae) » Pepsinae » Tarantula-hawk Wasps and Allies (Pepsini) » Tarantula-hawk Wasps (Pepsis) » Pepsis pallidolimbata

Photo#342852

Copyright © 2009 Marianne Kummels

Flying insect with orange wings - Pepsis pallidolimbata

Fountain Hills (Phoenix), Maricopa County, Arizona, USA
September 24, 2009
Size: ca 3.5 cm

This is a flying insect.The body is black, but the insect is conspicuous due to large bright orange-red wings. Here, the insect is feeding on the flower of a Desert Milkweed (Asclepias subulata).

Images of this individual: tag all

Flying insect with orange wings - Pepsis pallidolimbata

Flying insect with orange wings - Pepsis pallidolimbata

Contributed by Marianne Kummels on 13 October, 2009 - 12:12am
Last updated 3 October, 2015 - 11:22pm

Moved

Moved from Tarantula Hawks.

… Aaron Schusteff, 3 October, 2015 - 11:22pm

Pepsis Tarantula Hawk

My son and I saw one of these this morning in Lake Forest, CA near a small stream. It was non-aggressive and wasn't bothered when I followed it to take pictures. It was about 1 1/2" long with bright orange wings. The body appeared black, but when the sun hit the wasp, the body appeared to be a brilliant royal blue.

… LacyDeeds, 1 May, 2014 - 3:13pm

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… Eric R. Eaton, 29 October, 2009 - 12:23pm

Tarantula hawk, a type of wasp

May be tough to identify further, but many are in Pepsis. Info at link below, and when you get there, Images tab provides more photos.

http://bugguide.net/node/view/3920

Hopefully, your post will get expert attention.

… Ron Hemberger, 13 October, 2009 - 9:48am

Expert here:-)

Ron is correct. The blue reflections suggest genus Pepsis, but this is an old, very faded specimen and species ID is very unlikely. It is a female, though.

… Eric R. Eaton, 13 October, 2009 - 12:01pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by: