little red flightless wasp

Moved

… Jonathan Hoskins, 10 October, 2020 - 9:44pm

gelinae

Can't thank you folks enough for all the great photos - wonderful for IDing finds, in this case 2 of these orangey-red gelinae. Wish they would stay undercover and survive til next year. posting pic of much lesser quality to give example of 2nd one found on house.

… Justine Lynge, 15 November, 2010 - 1:55pm

Cryptinae

Your species (472699) is wingless and appears to be a species of Gelis. This one is brachypterous, and is not a species of Gelis. Concerning Gelis, Townes (1970) said "Species never brachypterous but with wings either fully developed or entirely absent."

… Bob Carlson, 15 November, 2010 - 2:34pm

Townes was evidently incorrect on the issue of Gelis being either wingless or fully winged, as I encountered this 1994 paper concerning the European species of Gelis with brachypterous females. I think it is safe to say, of course, that Townes was unaware of any Nearctic species of Gelis with brachypterous females, and so it seems unlikely that this could be a species of Gelis.

… Bob Carlson, 26 November, 2010 - 7:56am

Moved

Moved from ID Request. Thanks Richard!

… Lynette Elliott, 8 June, 2010 - 8:33am

Little red flightless Ichneumon Wasp

A member of the subfamily Gelinae (formerly Cryptinae). "Flightless" is more accurate than "wingless", because shortened - and of course quite useless - forewings are still present in this taxon, contrary to genus Gelis itself.
Females of this last genus are quite wingless and their alitrunk reminds much that of workers ants.

… Richard Vernier, 8 June, 2010 - 5:52am

Well

Gelinae of Townes and briefly Phygadeuontinae of some others but now almost universally as Cryptinae as discussed by Wahl. This is a very striking species and a superb photo. While I don't have much experience identifying the brachypterus cryptines, I would sort of wonder if this species has even been named.

… Bob Carlson, 8 June, 2010 - 10:03pm