Perhaps a Tiphiid? - Eusapyga verticalis

Moved

Moved from Sapygid Wasps.

… Ken Wolgemuth, 6 September, 2012 - 6:12pm

Eusapyga verticalis

… Steve Paiero, 6 September, 2012 - 1:40pm

Perhaps this is Eusapyga verticalis?

Revisiting this post after running into the posts of Harsi and Hartmut below:

I'm wondering if this may be Eusapyga verticalis, since I *think* I can barely make out tubercles on the vertex of the head (in 1st, 4th, and last images), and the apex of the wing is darkened (cf. Hartmut's comment here).

Or perhaps it's another species of Eusapyga? The 1979 "Red Book" catalog by Krombein, Hurd, Smith, & Burks(1) listed three CA species: E. verticalis, E. californica, and E. intermedia. But I'm assuming the taxonomy has changed significantly since then. For instance, Krombein et. al. only list two genera in Sapygidae: Sapyga and Eusapyga. But Harsi has a post of an interesting sapygid of the genus Krombeinopyga:

Also, in Hartmut's comment linked to above, he mentioned Doug Yanega's remark that there are three genera, each with one CA species, with very subtle differences. So far, I haven't been able to find more recent info on taxonomy of Sapygidae on the web...but it's an interesting family.

A observation: Both this series and the Eusapyga posts of Hartmut are feeding on Eriogonum flowers. (Harsi's post was a pool-rescue...but I'm pretty sure there were flowering Eriogonum in the neighborhood of the pool.)

… Aaron Schusteff, 15 June, 2012 - 1:37pm

Moved

Moved from Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies.

… John S. Ascher, 24 August, 2011 - 12:38am

Sapygidae

… John S. Ascher, 24 August, 2011 - 12:38am

Thanks John!

I was hoping you and/or others would recognize this by gestalt. I tried to use Goulet & Huber(1) to key it, but was unable to make out a number characters from my images. Glad to know the correct family.

… Aaron Schusteff, 24 August, 2011 - 12:51am