Favoritos de susanna_h

it's constantly flicking its wings while walking around, so it's hard to get good pictures of my frequent porch buddy. (I assume it's the same individual based on my observations and understanding of the type of wasp.) it left the spider for a while then came back and dragged it away, seemingly pausing to sting it again periodically, though I saw no signs of life from the spider.

I was thinking subtribe Gastrosericina, but the AI was "pretty sure" it was in genus Miscophus, so I backed off to subfamily out of caution. (I will be pretty shocked if the AI was correct about Miscophus, but, in fairness, the AI's second candidate was Larropsis).

I never did see this wasp perch. It kept hovering over this small patch of ground, with dead vegetation over sandy soil.

This wasp was very small, although the fact that I never saw it land doesn't help me give an estimate.

The immediate vicinity had Tachytes pepticus (a male clearly patrolling for females), Hoplisoides nebulosus (female), and several Tachysphex terminatus complex individuals (females with burrows, one with prey) -- as well as a couple of ground-nesting bees.

The wasp clearly has basal two terga red with the remainder black, and some silver apically on the first four terga. Apex of abdomen very pointed; I can't tell if there are 6 or 7 terga (but I would guess 6).

Sceliphron curvatum, also known as the Asian mud-dauber wasp, is an insect in the genus Sceliphron of the wasp family Sphecidae. Like all wasps of this genus, it is a solitary species and builds nests out of mud.

Note: there are two wasps in these photographs. This observation pertains to the wasp that's on the right in the first photo, at bottom in the second, and at the top right in the third.

The second wasp will have its own observation eventually: it is a female Episyron quinquenotatus, which I had been following as it explored a sandy path. The two wasps had this encounter, including a brief tussle (not included, since the single photograph was not in focus), and then the subject of this observation left the scene.

Updated: March 13: I've added 4 additional images of the male, which actually did stay in one spot for several moments after its initial encounter with the female.

I think I counted 11 flagellomeres, so this would be a male. Is it a male Episyron quinquenotatus? The white markings on terga 2 and 3 certainly might suggest that (although the markings on terga 3 are not basal, as they are in the female). However, I haven't been able to find a photo online that shows the unique features of this wasp: the pinkish-silvery coloring of the first tergum is something I have yet to see on any wasp I've encountered, and I couldn't find anything like it in my browsing through BugGuide or iNaturalist. It seems to be the result of appressed pubescence. Also note that there is white basally on the outer surface of the hind tibiae.

If I could find anything in my copy of Evans I might (or might not) be able to get somewhere, but...

Wings veins show moderately well in the last photo, if they help.

Help, please.

Thinking about Anoplius americanus americanus.

On Clustered mountain mint in my pollinator meadow. Surrounded by woods with a creek. Clay/sandy, rocky soil.
Have more images if I missed a needed angle.

Au moins 4 agglutinées et bougeant frénétiquement. Au départ, je croyais à un accouplement, ensuite, j’ai pensé à une attaque de groupe sur un individu. / At least 4 clumped together and moving frantically. At first, I thought it was a mating, then I thought it was a group attack on an individual.

The thorax looks like an Episyron, but the wings and abdomen do not (at least not any I know of). Help, please.

It was in a sandy area along the bank of the Missouri River. After the first shot, which is really the last in the sequence, the images are rather redundant.