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Need a wasp ID
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Posted by birdin_teen (My Page) on Fri, Jul 28, 06 at 22:14
| i saw this small wasplike insect flying around and crawling around my lantana, looked like it was looking for something... anyway it was maybe 1/2 the size of mud dauber? and was black, the posterior 2/3 of the abdomen had thin pale rings, and there was a ring between abd. and stalk. the wings were dark and they had a contrasting subapical area in the FW. the rings apperared unbroken. i am virtually null in the hymenoptera, however my description CLOSELY MATCHES THE TRIGONALIDS! i am not completely sure though, but the abdominal pattern matches the drawing in my Peterson guide. Am i right? the peterson guide says trigonalids are relatively rare! i was too chicken to capture thr bugger in a jar. this sighting was at dusk in Plano, Collin Co. TX
Thank you for your help |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Need a wasp ID
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| I am positive this was a trigonalid! it matches the drawing in the Swan and Papp guide! but i wouldnt think of lantana as a host plant... i would have captured it if i knew it was this rare! |
RE: Need a wasp ID
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| the wasp is still crawling on the lantana this morning! I saw it was reddish in the googd light andthe abd. pattern looked the same! should I capture it? |
RE: Need a wasp ID
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| actually i am not sure what it was now... maybe a tiphiid? but it didnt seem to have that elongated an abdomen, oy this is frustating.... |
RE: Need a wasp ID
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| Don't be frustrated. It can take years of study and practice for someone to become highly proficient at identifying insects, especially at first glance. Many insects require very close examination to determine genus and species.....even for the experts. I suspect that this wasp is using the lantana as a nectar plant and not a host plant. Right? Insects can use any plant they come across as a source of nectar and pollen. |
RE: Need a wasp ID
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| im not sure it was just crawling around it so quickly and flying around to different spots... oh well i dont even know if it was a wasp or a bee, how do you separate the two? |
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