Hemipepsis ustulata from Oakland, CA - Hemipepsis ustulata

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Spider Wasps, Velvet Ants and allies (Pompiloidea) » Spider Wasps (Pompilidae) » Pepsinae » Tarantula-hawk Wasps and Allies (Pepsini) » Tarantula-hawk Wasps (Hemipepsis) » Flamed Tarantula-hawk Wasp (Hemipepsis ustulata)

Photo#943166

Copyright © 2014 Ken-ichi Ueda

Hemipepsis ustulata from Oakland, CA - Hemipepsis ustulata -

Redwood Regional Park, Alameda County, California, USA
June 22, 2014
Size: 14 mm?

I can get to Hemipepsis based on my pepsid wing venation comparison based on input by Nick Fensler. Nearctica lists 4 species in this genus:

Hemipepsis mexicana Cresson 1867 (Mygnimia)

Assuming this pinned specimen from the Smithsonian is correctly identified, this species has orange antennae. Nick Fensler says it's small and perhaps somewhat blue, but there's very little info about this species out there.

Hemipepsis ochroptera Stål 1857 (Hemipepsis)

It seems like this is currently considered a subspecies of H. ustulata: http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/hymDB/nomenclator.name_id_entry?id=167635

Hemipepsis toussainti Banks 1928 (Mygnimia)

This species has orange antennae: http://bugguide.net/node/view/69653

Hemipepsis ustulata Dahlbom 1843 (Hemipepsis)

Numerous images on BugGuide showing black, non-blue body with black antennae, so I think this is my wasp.

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Contributed by Ken-ichi Ueda on 22 June, 2014 - 9:21pm
Last updated 25 February, 2017 - 8:53am

Size?

Ken, 14mm seems a bit too short for these wasps. Is that a typo? Was this wasp closer to 41mm in length?
Thanks

… Bob Biagi, 15 June, 2015 - 2:57pm

not a typo

The solid lines on the paper in the background of this image are 6 mm apart, so yes, the body size is accurate, and that's about normal for the H. ustulata I've seen in the SF Bay Area. Even our really big pepsids like H. mildei would rarely exceed 30 mm in body length.

… Ken-ichi Ueda, 17 June, 2015 - 12:59pm

Thanks!

Ken, that is interesting, because they can get very big out here in Arizona. (≈18mm)

… Bob Biagi, 17 June, 2015 - 1:09pm

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