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Photo#34333
Wasp perched fuzzy 10 05 - Astata

Wasp perched fuzzy 10 05 - Astata
Toadsuck beach, AR River, Perry County, Arkansas, USA
October 10, 2005
Size: 14mm
This little wasp was perching on this leaf and foraying out like it owned it. Kept coming back. Acting very male. I have no idea which group it is other than that it is not a Pompilid. You can see some metallic color through the wings and some reduction of the waist to narrow.

Male Astata sp.
Very nice shot of a male Astata sp. They are territorial and the behavior you describe is common. Males have those holoptic eyes. Females look much different. Pretty sure we have images of both genders, and probably at least two species, in the guide.

 
Thanks
I am updating my Sphecid list on the website from an Arkansas list to an Eastern list. We appear to have about six eastern species. I don't have a key for these.

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