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Pollen Wasp

Pseudomasaris vespoides

Published on Project Noah
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33.0026, -116.915

Field Notes

Description:

This big and mellow wasp just wants to eat and pollinate. Each Spring, I find them sleeping inside our Penstemon flowers in our field as seen in the last image. This female (shorter and non arching antenna) didn't care I was taking photo's of her. She has dark wings and ends of the clubbed antenna. The abdomen is yellow with black stripes across the tops of almost each segment. There are black spots on the top centers of the segments at the black bands. Small black spots are along the sides of the abdomen at each segment The scutum is black with two yellow crescent marks toward the back center. The head has a yellow band running under each eye and across the frons. There is also yellow on the clypeus and scutellum although not all of it.

Habitat:

Penstemon flower in chaparral. Found in the western US states, Baja California and western Canadian provinces.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (2)

Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!

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