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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Vespoidea » Hornets, Yellowjackets; Paper, Potter, Mason, and Pollen Wasps; and Allies (Vespidae) » Potter and Mason Wasps (Eumeninae) » Ancistrocerus » Ancistrocerus tuberculocephalus
Photo#43699
Potter Wasp? - Ancistrocerus tuberculocephalus - male
Copyright © 2006 Chuck Entz

Potter Wasp? - Ancistrocerus tuberculocephalus - Male
Encino, Los Angeles County, California, USA
February 24, 2006
Size: 1/2 inch
At first I thought this might be a small Polistes aurifer because of the color pattern, but the photos show it to be quite different. It's very skittish, so it was hard getting close enough to photograph.

Nectaring on Wild Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) in my front yard.

Images of this individual: tag all
Potter Wasp? - Ancistrocerus tuberculocephalus - male Potter Wasp? - Ancistrocerus tuberculocephalus - male Potter Wasp? - Ancistrocerus tuberculocephalus - male
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Contributed by Chuck Entz on 26 February, 2006 - 10:49am
Last updated 12 November, 2008 - 4:09pm

Moved
Moved from Ancistrocerus.
… Matthias Buck, 12 November, 2008 - 4:06pm login or register to post comments

Ancistrocerus tuberculocephalus?
Looks to me like Ancistrocerus tuberculocephalus, compare here. Difficult to see the top of head which would confirm, nevertheless, overall appearance, red antennae with black ends and mostly yellow abdomen compares well to A. tuberculocephalus.
… Ted Kropiewnicki, 25 February, 2008 - 8:44pm login or register to post comments

Ancistrocerus - male
A superb western species which does indeed mimick Polistes (fuscatus) aurifer throughout its area: similar specimens from Colorado have much more extended reddish color, just like local Polistes.
The common name "Mason wasp" is more accurate than "Potter wasp": this latter should be used only for Eumenes and closely related genera (like Zeta).
… Richard Vernier, 1 March, 2006 - 8:09am login or register to post comments

Mason wasp.
Right family and subfamily (Vespidae: Eumeninae). My guess would be something in the genus Ancistrocerus, but others who visit here are better with IDs on these (Mathias Buck, Richard Vernier).
… Eric R. Eaton, 27 February, 2006 - 3:18pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks!
For getting me off to a good start on ID
… Chuck Entz, 27 February, 2006 - 6:44pm login or register to post comments

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