Blue wasp - Chlorion aerarium

Moved

Moved from Chlorion.

… John S. Ascher, 2 September, 2014 - 9:52am

Tarsal comb...

I'm not so sure this is a Blue Mud Dauber. The photos give a good look at a tarsal comb, but I think mud daubing species lack tarsal combs. You'll probably have to wait for more confirmation on this (I just know that's how it is in pompilids). Also the body shape (especially the head and abdomen) look very similar to species of Chlorion, and this may be Chlorion cyaneum (I think they're more common out west than C. aerarium).

… Nick Fensler, 28 July, 2006 - 3:48pm

Chlorion aerarium.

I don't know that C. cyaneum is that common period. I guess you probably have to key them out....Anyway, this is indeed a Chlorion, and probably C. aerarium. Head is too big, and devoid of pubescece, to be Chalybion.

… Eric R. Eaton, 2 August, 2006 - 5:35pm

Thanks for the final word, Eric.

(Unless you count this!) Moved to Chlorion.

… Ron Hemberger, 2 August, 2006 - 6:07pm

Interesting stuff

I'll hang in there. BTW, your comments the other day inspired me to make these wasp posts, focusing on ones that may have been hunting spiders. Also, I noticed one of your pinned specimens came from the Headlands area of Lake County, near where I grew up. Ah, nostalgia!

… Ron Hemberger, 28 July, 2006 - 7:36pm

Headlands area

Yeah, that's a pretty sweet area for solitary wasps. I had a permit to collect at Headland Dunes Nature Preserve in 2003 when I was collecting material for my survey of Ohio's pompilids. I think I've posted an Anoplius cleora and a Evagetes ingenuus from Lake County. That E. ingenuus is a neat wasp, I've collected in Ohio all my life and I've only ever gotten two and one was from there.

… Nick Fensler, 28 July, 2006 - 9:49pm

Blue Mud Dauber?

This one looks like a Blue Mud Dauber (Chalybion californicum), but I understand there's at least one similar species- so it's probably a good idea to wait for confirmation. This is another hyped-up, twitchy mud dauber, which also hunts for spiders.

… Chuck Entz, 28 July, 2006 - 1:29am

Thanks, Chuck

I love the "hyped-up, twitchy" reference. That's just how I see them. Reminds me of a comment about Mormon Metalmark in Butterflies Through Binocs:

"A candidate for ritalin if I've ever seen one..."

… Ron Hemberger, 28 July, 2006 - 3:32pm