Subspecies Scolia dubia haematodes

Blood-tailed Scoliid Wasp

♀ forewing 14 mm; body length 17.6 mm(1)

♂ forewing 15 mm; body length 21 mm(1)

(Noticeably smaller than Triscolia ardens.)

Forewing with two submarginal cells and a single recurrent vein (see diagram ).(2) Wings dark with blue iridescence. Body with head and thorax entirely black, abdomen mostly reddish. In contrast to the nominate subspecies, yellow markings are absent apart from restricted marks around the eyes and at the antennal bases.(3)

TX, AZ, NM.(4) Additional records in CA have not been verified since.(5)

S. dubia haematodes extends further to the east in Texas than does T. ardens (e.g. Travis and Tarrant counties).

The nearly identically colored Triscolia ardens is presumably the model for the dipteran mimic Mydas ventralis.

Triscolia ardens is nearly identical in coloration but is separated in terms of wing venation and a larger size.

Comparison of wing venation between Scolia (left) and Triscolia (right). The genus Scolia has 2 submarginal cells whereas the genus Triscolia has 3 submarginal cells.