Pepsis thisbe

Hymenoptera: Pompilidae

Video of Tarantula Hawk storing Tarantula, by Jennifer Wood

Note on gender: Males cannot curl their antennae, which have 11 flagellomeres; Females can curl their antennae, which have only 10 flagellomeres.

Back to Hymenoptera index page
Back to Arthropods of Orange County, California
Back to Natural History of Orange County, California

Thomas E. Riley Wilderness Park, Coto de Caza, Orange County, CA. 8-5-08. © Ron Hemberger.
Note on bevavior:
They're on mule fat (in the butterfly garden).
Two species: P. mildei with orange antennae, P. thisbe with black.
Walking by the bush, I bumped into it with my hat and sent maybe a dozen of them
off into the air. The all-male diners were absolutely non-aggressive and quickly returned.

Male (Straight antennae), feeding on buckwheat. Thomas E. Riley Wilderness Park, Coto de Caza, Orange County, CA. 8-3-06. © Ron Hemberger