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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea sans Anthophila – Apoid Wasps » Square-headed Wasps, Sand Wasps, and Allies (Crabronidae) » Square-headed Wasps (Crabroninae) » Larrini » Gastrosericina » Tachysphex
Photo#621537
Small blue-black and orange wasp - Tachysphex - female
Copyright © 2012 Jerry Friedman

Small blue-black and orange wasp - Tachysphex - Female
Española, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, USA
March 17, 2012
Size: Less than 1cm long
I see these guys in spring, moving almost nonstop, mostly crawling fast and flying fast within a few cm of the ground. When disturbed, they fly really fast. The behavior kind of reminds me of the Allochares I photographed once but maybe these little guys curve around more. This one was staying stiller than usual on some dirt I'd just watered.
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Contributed by Jerry Friedman on 19 March, 2012 - 12:20pm
Last updated 20 March, 2012 - 5:06am

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Oh well... I least I got it in the right family. :)
… Ken Wolgemuth, 20 March, 2012 - 5:05am login or register to post comments

I'd guess something
in Astatinae. But then I could be quite wrong, so be sure to wait for a second opinion. :)
… Ken Wolgemuth, 19 March, 2012 - 2:15pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks.
Sure looks reasonable to me. If so, this is a female, right?

Here's a facial view of what might be the same thing.
… Jerry Friedman, 19 March, 2012 - 11:39pm login or register to post comments

 
Female Tachysphex.
Small size and pointy tip to abdomen help me to ID this as a female in the genus Tachysphex, family Crabronidae.
… Eric R. Eaton, 20 March, 2012 - 3:11am login or register to post comments

 
Thanks
for the ID, and thanks to Ken for the move. Tachy- means "fast", right? That certainly applied.
… Jerry Friedman, 20 March, 2012 - 12:30pm login or register to post comments

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