Tachypompilus unicolor unicolor (Banks)

Kurczewski, Frank E. & West, Rick C., 2023, Evaluation of North American spider wasp (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) common names, Insecta Mundi 2023 (989), pp. 1-8 : 5

Tachypompilus unicolor unicolor (Banks) (Western red-tailed spider wasp)

The entire body of this subspecies, including antennae and legs, is bright ferruginous in color, although the common name implies that only the end of the abdomen is ferruginous ( Fig. 11 ). The overall ferruginous coloration of T. u. unicolor contrasts strikingly with the appropriately named Asiatic red-tailed spider wasp, Tachypompilus analis (Fabricius) , in which only the apical four segments of the metasoma are bright reddish-orange and the rest of the body is black ( Fig. 12 ).

Figures

Figures 7–12. Habitus photos of North American Pompilidae. 7) Entypus unifasciatus unifasciatus female, Rock Creek, Washington, DC, USA. Photograph © Landrum Beard. 8) Hemipepsis ustalata female, Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra La Laguna, Baja California Sur State, Mexico. Photograph © Steven Mlodinow. 9) Poecilopompilus algidus algidus female, Warsaw, Hancock County, IL, USA. Photograph © Angella Moorehouse. 10) Psorthaspis mariae female, Buffalo National River, Centerpoint Trail, Newton County, AR, USA, Photograph © Edward Trammel. 11) Tachypompilus unicolor unicolor female, Rocks National Reserve, Cassia County, ID, USA. Photograph © Steven Mlodinow. 12) Tachypompilus analis female, Twun Tong District, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China. Photograph © Keith Chan.