Species Pseudomasaris vespoides

Classification · Explanation of Names · Identification · Range · Food · Print References · Works Cited

Pseudomasaris Attempted Mating - Pseudomasaris vespoides - male - female

Orange clubbed antennae - Pseudomasaris vespoides - male

unkn bee - Pseudomasaris vespoides - male

Male Pollen Wasp - Pseudomasaris vespoides - male

I look like Vespula but I'm not -- who am I? - Pseudomasaris vespoides - 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 Vespoidea (Yellowjackets and Hornets, Paper Wasps; Potter, Mason and Pollen Wasps and allies)

Family Vespidae (Yellowjackets and Hornets, Paper Wasps; Potter, Mason and Pollen Wasps)

Subfamily Masarinae (Pollen Wasps)

Genus Pseudomasaris

Species vespoides (Pseudomasaris vespoides)

Explanation of Names

Pseudomasaris vespoides (Cresson 1863)

Identification

A sharp transverse ridge right above antennal sockets sets females of this species apart from congeners. Males can be separated from their congeners by the antennal club being longer than antennomere III, and concave on the underside. Gastral tergite VII (almost always) has a pair of dorsal tubercles. Fore basitarsus with a long posterior fringe; hind basitarsus is curved and distally lobed.(1)

Pale markings tend to be less extensive in individuals of northerly populations; they're also more whitish than yellowish. (Roy Snelling, Nat. Hist. Mus. of Los Angeles Co., pers. comm. to HW)

Range

w US (WA-CA to SD-NM) to Baja(2)

Food

Adults found on/near Penstemon spp., feed on nectar; females collect pollen for larvae

Print References

Longair R.W. (1987) Mating behavior at floral resources in two species of Pseudomasaris (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Masarinae). Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 89: 759-769. Full text

Torchio P.F. (1974) Mechanisms involved in the pollination of Penstemon visited by the masarid wasp Pseudomasaris vespoides (Cresson). Pan-Pac. Entomol. 50: 226-234.

Works Cited

1.	New records of Pseudomasaris Ashmead (Hymenoptera:Vespoidea, Masaridae), with notes on P. phaceliae Rohwer and P. cazieri Bohart Richards O.W. 1966. Proc. R. Ent. Soc. London (B) 35(3-4): 47-55.

2.	Checklist of species of the subfamily Masarinae (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) Carpenter J.M. 2001. American Museum novitates 3325. 40 pp.

Contributed by Beatriz Moisset on 23 January, 2006 - 3:55pm
Additional contributions by Hartmut Wisch, Aaron Schusteff, v belov
Last updated 5 July, 2017 - 10:21pm

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