Wasp Wednesday: The Wasp Tree Part II

Last week I wrote about a single, blooming Saltcedar tree (Tamarix sp.) that was attracting a great diversity of insects, especially wasps. Well, after spending several more days at that (introduced, invasive) tree, I can add to the list significantly.

The butterflies alone now include Checkered White, Orange Sulphur, Dainty Sulphur, Gray Hairstreak, Acmon Blue, Reakirt's Blue, Painted Lady, American Lady, Variegated Fritillary, American Snout, Common Checkered Skipper, Common Sootywing (image above), and Uncas Skipper (identification tentative). Bees include the following families: Colletidae, Apidae, Megachilidae, and Halictidae.

The following list of wasps will be the final one. I will amend it as I make more specific identifications, and/or add new species during future forays to the tree:

• Argidae: Argid sawflies
• Braconidae: Braconid wasps
• Ichneumonidae (Ichneumon wasps)
• Chalcididae (Chalcid wasps):
• Brachymeria sp. (chalcid wasp)
• Leucospidae (Leucospid wasps):
• Leucospis sp.
• Chrysididae: Cuckoo wasps
  
  
• Scoliidae (Scoliid wasps):
• Campsomeris sp.
• Trielis octomaculata
• Tiphiidae (Tiphiid wasps):
• Myzinum sp.
  
  Myzinum male
  
  Myzinum female
  
• Mutillidae (Velvet ants):
• Dasymutilla sp.
• Vespidae (social wasps, mason wasps):
• Polistes dominula (European Paper Wasp)
• Polistes aurifer (paper wasp)
• Vespula sp. (yellowjacket)
• Eumenes sp. (potter wasp)
• Euodynerus spp. (mason wasps)
• Parancistrocerus? sp. (mason wasp)
• Pompilidae (Spider Wasps):
• Hemipepsis ustulata (“tarantula hawk”)
  
  
• Cryptocheilus sp.
• Anoplius spp. (spider wasps)
• Poecilopompilus interruptus (spider wasp)
• Sphecidae (Sphecid Wasps):
• Sceliphron caementarium (Black & Yellow Mud Dauber)
• Chalybion californicum (Blue Mud Dauber)
• Sphex lucae (katydid hunter)
• Isodontia elegans (grass-carrier wasp)
• Prionyx spp. (grasshopper hunters)
• Podalonia spp. (cutworm hunters)
• Ammophila juncea (caterpillar hunter)
• Ammophila wrightii (caterpillar hunter)
• Crabronidae (Crabronid Wasps):
• Sphecius grandis (Western Cicada Killer)
• Tachytes spp. (sand-loving wasps)
• Bembix sp. (sand wasp)
• Stictiella pulchella (sand wasp)
• Steniolia elegans (sand wasp)
  
  
• Bicyrtes sp. (stinkbug hunter)
• Astata sp. (stinkbug hunter)
• Dryudella sp. (true bug hunter)
• Stizoides renicinctus(image below, blog coming soon)
  
  
• Oxybelus sp. (fly hunters)
• Clypeadon sp. (harvester ant hunter)
• Aphilanthops sp. (“ant queen kidnapper”)
• Philanthus gibbosus (“beewolf”)
• Philanthus ventilabris(“beewolf”)
• Philanthus spp. (“beewolves,” at least two other species)
• Cerceris spp. (weevil wasps)
• Eucerceris sp. (weevil wasp)

All of the above were found either on the tree or in very close proximity. Male wasps take advantage of the fact that females will seek nectar at an isolated shrub and then create territories around it which they defend from other males. I found this was especially true of Tachytes and Philanthus, but I observed other wasps (and flies, too), mating on or close to the tree.

I have put together a “set” of images on my Flickr photostream entitled “Wasp Tree” that illustratse more of these insects. It is an ever-growing set, so please visit often. Thank you.

Wasp Wednesday: Wasp City

Wasp-watching is better around some places than it is others. Yesterday, June 12, I happened upon a lone, blooming Saltcedar tree in the middle of a huge vacant plot of land here in Colorado Springs. In a few hours I saw a greater diversity of wasps than I had seen up until then in all the time I’ve spent here.

Unfortunately, Saltcedar, also known as Tamarisk (Tamarix sp.) is an invasive plant. It is native to Eurasia and Africa and was brought to North America as an ornamental tree sometime in the early 1800s. It can grow in a variety of habitats but seems to favor disturbed situations, riparian corridors, and moist pastures. It has deep taproots that can reach low water tables, interfering with natural aquatic systems. It is also tolerant of high salinity. Efforts have been made to eradicate it, but with little success. One tactic has been the introduction of a leaf beetle, Diorhabda elongate, and a mealybug (Trabutina mannipara), to eat the plant into submission.

Say what you will about the negative impacts of this tree, but it certainly attracts a variety of butterflies, bees, wasps, flies, and beetles that seek nectar at its profuse pale pink blossoms. Yesterday I spotted Painted Lady, American Lady, Variegated Fritillary, Checkered White, Orange Sulphur, Dainty Sulphur, and Gray Hairstreak butterflies. There were also a variety of tachinid flies, thick-headed flies, syrphid flies, and flesh flies. Robber flies hung around to prey on the pollinators. Sweat bees, leafcutter bees, resin bees, digger bees, honeybees, bumble bees, and cuckoo bees were there, too.

The above list is just the tip of the iceberg. The wasps were even more amazing in their diversity:

• Argidae: Argid sawflies
• Braconidae: Braconid wasps
• Chrysididae: Cuckoo wasps
• Vespidae: (Vespid Wasps)
• Polistes dominula (European Paper Wasp)
• Euodynerus spp. (mason wasps)
  
  
• Stenodynerus? sp. (mason wasp)
• Pompilidae (Spider Wasps):
• Hemipepsis ustulata (tarantula hawk)
• Cryptocheilus sp.
• Sphecidae (Sphecid Wasps):
• Sceliphron caementarium (Black & Yellow Mud Dauber)
• Sphex lucae
• Podalonia spp. (cutworm hunters)
• Ammophila spp.
  
  
• Crabronidae (Crabronid Wasps):
• Sphecius grandis (Western Cicada Killer)
  
  
• Tachytes spp. (sand-loving wasps)
• Bembix sp. (sand wasp)
• Clypeadon sp. (harvester ant hunter)
• Philanthus spp. (“beewolves,” at least four species)
• Cerceris spp. (weevil wasps)

The tarantula hawk and cicada killer were somewhat surprising. I’m going back right now to see what else I can find, and try and get better images. Take a look around your own yard, garden, neighborhood, and parks, and see what flowers you can find that draw the most wasps, bees, and other pollinators. Share your findings here if you will.