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Photo#816510
ID for a red wasp with blue wings? - Tachypompilus unicolor

ID for a red wasp with blue wings? - Tachypompilus unicolor
Claremont, Los Angeles County, California, USA
June 3, 2013
This wasp was spotted on California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum) in an area of mixed grass and coastal sage scrub at the Claremont Colleges' Bernard Field Station. My only guess is that it might be something like Tachypompilus. Any information will be greatly appreciated!

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ID for a red wasp with blue wings? - Tachypompilus unicolor ID for a red wasp with blue wings? - Tachypompilus unicolor

Moved
Moved from Spider Wasps. Note the strong comb on the anterior tarsus, eliminating any superficially similar Ageniella. The eyes do not appear to converge enough dorsally to indicate T. ferrugineus. Anecdotally T. unicolor seems to be far more common in California.

 
Thanks!
Thanks for the ID, Nick! This will be a new taxon for our field station invert list. I've seen these wasps at the field station on a number of occasions, but haven't been able to get photographs previously – they're very "twitchy".

Moved

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