Florida Wasps

Wasps are by far my favorite insect, they have very interesting life cycles and display unique behavior. As a rule of thumb, all wasps can be closely approached with the exception of social wasps at their nest and hornets. Wasps are my primary subject in macro photography, and I am always keeping an eye to the ground looking for new or interesting wasps. When it comes to photographing wasps, I am more concerned with cataloging and identifying the species then I am with composing an artistic shot. I hope that my photographs can help interest others in these fascinating and beneficial creatuers. I would like to give a special thanks to all the entomologists on INat and Bugguide who have taken the time to help teach me and ID my observations.

Braconidae and Ichneumonidae
The Long Antennaed

In a letter to American botanist Asa Gray, Darwin wrote: "I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of Caterpillars, or that a cat should play with mice."

Labena grallator Trogomorpha trogiformis Agonocryptus discoidaloides, Malabar Scrub Pimpla marginella, Melbourne Enicospilus cubensis, Melbourne Gelis sp., Branan Field Gelis sp., Tiger Bay State Forest Cremastinae, Melbourne Limonethe maurator, Palm Bay Florida Cerato gastraornata, Chuluota Wilderness Area Cratichneumon Cratichneumon w-album, Rima Ridge Baryceros candidus, Branan Field Campopleginae, Palm Bay Macrocentrus Unidentified Ichneumon, Palm Bay Unidentified Ichneumon, Palm Bay Male Anomalon Wasp Neotheronia bicincta floridana Alabagrus texanus Alabagrus stigma Unidentified Braconid Wasp Red Braconid Wasp Cardiochiles Braconid Wasp Agathidinae Braconid Wasp Braconid Wasp Unknown Braconid Wasp Unknown Braconid Wasp, Palm Bay Unknown Braconid Wasp, Palm Bay Atanycolus sp. Alysiinae sp., Palm Bay Cheloninae sp. Cotesia sp., Palm Bay Rogadinae, Caterpillar Mummy Wasp Braconid, Palm Bay Unknown Braconid, Palm Bay Unknown Braconid, Palm Bay Unknown Braconid, Palm Bay

Crabronidae Wasps
The Square Headed Ones

Bicyrtes insidiatrix Bicyrtes capnopterus Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus, Four-banded Stink Bug Wasp Gorytes dorothyae, Charles Bronson State Forest Hoplisoides sp. Nyssonini sp. Tachysphex Ectemnius rufipes Ectemnius decemmaculatus, Big Cypress National Preserve Anacrabro ocellatus Eastern Cicada Killer Wasp Miscophus slossonae, Tiger Bay State Forest Male Larra Bicolor, Miramar, Fl. Larra analis, Malabar, Fl. Liris Species, Palm Bay Florida Wasp with Cricket Wasp with Paralyzed Grasshopper, Miramar Florida Bembicini sp. Bembicini sp. Bembicini sp. Bembecinus floridanus Philanthus ventilabris, Bee Wolf Trypoxylon politum Trypoxylon clavatum johannis Crabronini sp., Big Cypress National Preserve, Fl. Crabronini sp. Astata Wasp Melbourne Florida. Tachytes grisselli Tachytes sp., Tiger Bay State Forest Tachytes guatemalensis, Midway Tachytes sp., Bull Creek WMA Tachytes sp., St. Sebastian River Preserve Cerceris bicornuta Cerceris fumipennis, Smokey Winged Beetle Bandit Cerceris flavofasciata floridensis Cerceris verticalis, Midway Cerceris blakei, Lake County

Sphecidae Wasps
The Thin-Waisted Ones

Sphex habenus female Sphex ichneumoneus, Great Golden Digger Wasp, Female Sphex flavovestitus Sphex pensylvanicus Male Sphex dorsalis female Sphex dorsalis Male Sphex jamaicensis Ammmophilia sp. with Prey Ammophila procera Eremnophila aureonotata, Gold-Marked Thread-waisted Wasp Prionyx sp. Palmodes dimidiatus Prionyx parkeri, Palm Bay Isodontia mexicana Isodontia auripes, Brown-legged Grass-carrying Wasp Isodontia exornata Ammophilia sp. Black and Yellow Mud Dauber Chalybion zimmermanni - Zimmermanns Mud-dauber Wasp Chalybion californicum, Blue Mud Dauber Chlorion aerarium

Mutillidae
The Velvet Ants

Eastern Velvet Ant, Cow Killer, Dasymutilla occidentalis Male Eastern Velvet Ant, Cow Killer, Dasymutilla occidentalis Dasymutilla asopus, Tiger Bay State Forest Dasymutilla bioculata, St Sebastian River State Park Dasymutilla archboldi, Chuluota Wilderness Area Dasymutilla nigripes, Chuluota Wilderness Area Dasymutilla quadriguttata, Four Spotted Velvet Ant, Chuluota Wilderness Area Dasymutilla rubicunda, Lake Wales Ridge State Forest Dasymutilla vesta, Chuluota Wilderness Area Dasymutilla macilenta, Goethe State Forest Dasymutilla arenerronea, Charles Bronson State Forest Photomorphus paulus, Branan Field Pseudomethoca sanbornii Pseudomethoca vanduzei, Lake Norris Pseudomethoca torrida, Branan Field Pseudomethoca simillima, Goethe State Forest Timulla vagans Timulla dubitata, Midway Timulla ornatipennis, Chuluota Wilderness Area Timulla ferrugata, Chuluota Wilderness Area Timulla floridensis, Ocala National Forest Male Mutillid Wasp Male Mutillid Wasp Male Mutillid Wasp Sphaeropthalma pensylvanica Ephuta slossonae, Branan Field Ephuta spinifera, Tiger Bay State Forest

Vespidea
The Social, Mason and Potter Wasps

Vespula squamosa, Southern Yellow Jacket Paper Wasp, Mischocyttarus mexicanus cubicola Richards Red Paper Wasp Polistes annularis Polistes carolina, St. Sebastian River State Park Polistes bellicosus, Florida Polistes fuscatus Polistes bahamensis, Bahamian Paper Wasp Polistes metricus, St. Sebastian River State Park, Leptochilus acolhuus, Lake Wales Ridge State Forest Mason Wasps, Pachodynerus nasidens Pachodynerus erynnis, Black and Red Mason Wasp Parancistrocerus fulvipes rufovestis Mason Wasp, Stenodynerus fundatiformis Euodynerus megaera - Mason Wasp Mason Wasps, Euodynerus hidalgo Euodynerus castigatus ssp. rubrivestis, Three Forks Marsh Monobia quadridens with Sand Ball Pseudodynerus quadrisectus Potter Wasp with Mud BallDelta rendalli (Bingham) Delta sp. Zeta argillaceum Eumenes smithii Eumenes fraternus Zethus slossonae Fox Zethus spinipes

Tiphiidae - Scoliidae - Thynnidae
The Beetle Grub Hunters

Dielis trifasciata Campsomeris quadrimaculata Colpa octomaculata, Chuluota Wilderness Area Campsomeris dorsata Dielis plumipes, St. Sebastian River Preserve Scolia bicincta Scolia dubia, Two Spotted Scoliid Wasp Scolia nobilitata nobilitata Fabricius Myzinum carolinianum, Femable Myzinum dubium, Female Five Banded Tiphiid Wasp, Myzinum quinquecintum Tiphiid Wasp Tiphiid Wasp Methoca sp. Female

Pompilidae
The Spider Hunters

Psorthaspis legata, Branan Field Anoplius lepidus Episyron conterminus, Male Anoplius sp. Paracyphononyx funereus Tachypompilus ferrugineus ferrugineus, Rusty Spider Wasp Entypus fulvicornis (Cresson) Wasp with Spider Poecilopompilus algidus algidus Poecilopompilus interruptus interruptus Poecilopompilus interruptus with paralyzed Golden Orb Weaver Anoplius americanus Aporinellus taeniolatus, Lake Norris Ageniella arcuata, Palm Bay Cryptocheilus idoneum

Chalcidoid Wasps
The Tiny Ones

Kapala floridana, Male Kapala floridana, Female Undescribed Kapala sp., Jupiter Obeza floridana, Branan Field Chalcid Wasp, Chalcidoidea. Brachymeria flavipes Small Chalcid, Palm Bay Unidentified Conura sp., Bull Creek WMA Unidentified Conura sp., Branan Field Chalcid Wasp, Chalcidoidea. Chalcid Wasp, Conura Conura sp. Side Group Conura (Conura) lasnierii Leucospis robertsoni - Chalcid Wasp Leucospis slossonae Leucopsis afffinis floridana, Charles Bronson State Forest Megastigmus Pteromalid, Melbourne Pteromalid, Palm Bay Macroglenes, Palm Bay Lelaps sp., Male, Palm Bay Sycophila quercilanae, Turkey Creek Sycophila sp., Lake Wales Ridge State Forest Torymus sp., Female Torymus sp., Male Orymrus sp., Tiger Bay State Forest Orymrus sp., Lake Wales Ridge State Forest Ormyrus dryorhizoxeni Malabar Scrub Orasema sp., Tiger Bay State Forest Cheiloneurus sp., Branan Field Gonatocerus sp., Palm Bay Horismenus sp., Palm Bay Tetrastichinae, Palm Bay Tetrastichinae, Reared from Oak Galls, Palm Bay Tetrastichinae, Palm Bay Neorileya, Branan Field Anastatus sp., Charles Bronson State Forest Holcencyrtus, Branan Field Cerapterocerus phragmitis, Branan Field Brasema sp., Lake Wales Ridge State Forest Brasema sp., Ocala National Forest Entedoninae, Palm Bay Entedoninae, Palm Bay Eupelmus sp., Branan Field Eupelmus sp., Charles Bronson State Forest Pteromalinae sp., Palm Bay Encyrtinae sp., Palm Bay Euplectrus sp., Palm Bay Phasgonophora sulcata, Quincy Uropelma formosum, Branan Field Tetracnemus sp., Branan Field

Chrysidoidea
The Cuckoo, Flat and Pincer Wasps

Chrysis angolensis Cuckoo Wasp Hedychrum violaceum, Jordan Scrub Holopyga ventralis, St. Sebastial River State Park Chrysis inaequidens Caenochrysis tridens Chrysis smaragdula, Lake Norris Tentatively Chrysis allectoris, Charles H. Bronson State Forest Cleptes sp., Branan Field Adelphe anisomorphae, Branan Field Pristepyris ater, Rima Ridge Epyris sp., Branan Field Pristocerinae sp., Palm Bay Esagonatopus niger, Branan Field Gonatopodinae sp., Palm Bay

Stephanidae - Platygastroidae - Evaniidae - Cynipidae - Ceraphronidae - Rhopalosomatidae - Diapriidae - Ampulicidae - Myrmosidae
Other Families

Ampulex canaliculata, Branan Field Myrmosa unicolor, Branan Field Synopeas sp., Palm Bay Megischus bicolor Crown of Thorns Wasp Evania appendigaster Hyptia floridana, Palm Bay Hyptia, Branan Field Ceraphronidae sp., Palm Bay Ceraphronidae sp., Palm Bay Olixon banksii Synergini - Oak Inquiline Gall Wasps Belonocnema fossoria Cynipini, Tiger Bay State Forest Cynipini, Palm Bay Synergus sp., Lake Wales Ridge State Forest Scelio floridanus Scelioninae, Branan Field Idris sp., Palm Bay Trimorus sp., Palm Bay Diapriini sp., Palm Bay

Sawflies

Sawflies are not wasps, but make up the 4th group of insects in hymenoptera, the others beeing ants, bees and wasps. Due to their similar appearance, I sometimes come across these distant relatives of the wasps and the ones I have found are presented below.

Sawfly eating an Aphid. North Florida Argid Sawfly