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Project Noah Nature School
Pseudomasaris vespoides
About 20 millimeters in body length, colored as shown. Note that the male has very long, clubbed antennae, the female very short, clubbed antennae.
Males were staking out territories near Penstemon flowers, which the females were visiting for pollen and nectar. Native habitat on the zoo grounds is mixed coniferous forest with some aspen, alder, chokecherry, and Gambel's oak.
These wasps are obligatory pollinators of Penstemon flowers. Each female constructs a multi-cellular mud nest she provisions with pollen and nectar as food for her offspring.
Spotted on Jun 12, 2013
Submitted on Jan 10, 2014
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