Pepsis basifusca
This record describes Pepsis basifusca (species). Recorded family: Pompilidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Wings | Wings largely orangish, with rather uniformly-narrow dark borders along the margins of the fore and hind wings...which begin near the tip of the marginal cell, bend around the apex of the wing, and continue along the posterior edge to near the axillary excision. They also have a fairly large basal portion of the wing opaquely-darkened. |
| Antennae | Antennae entirely black. This is one of the 4 western NA species (the others being azteca, cerberus (=menechma) , and mildei ) with males having distinctive, dense, hair brushes on the lateral edges of the 4th sternite of the abdomen. (Females may have some short, sparse inconspicuous hairs on their sterna...but lack dense hair brushes). This species was described by Viereck in 1907 as Pepsis angustimarginata and treated under that name by many authors working on nearctic Pepsis in the 20th century, e.g. Banks , Salman(1930...see pg. 146) , Hurd [1952], Townes [1957], and the catalog of Krombein [1979]). However, recently C. R. Vardy, with a deeper knowledge and familiarity of the neo-tropical Pepsis fauna (where the majority of species occur) than the earlier nearctic authors cited above, placed P. angustimarginata in synonymy under P. basifusca , whose range is mainly south of the US. That name-change was presaged to a certain degree in the discussion of angustimarginata and its relationship to basifusca in Hurd. |
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
- Superfamily
- Pompiloidea
- Family
- Pompilidae (Spider Wasps)
- Subfamily
- Pepsinae
- Tribe
- Pepsini
- Genus
- Pepsis (Tarantula-hawk Wasps)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Far eastern CA and far southern NV; AZ, UT, NM, w. TX, CO, KS, and AR. ( 3 ) (Also south through Mexico to Panama).
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: The epithet angustimarginata (Latin roots: "angusti-" = narrow; "marginata" = margined ) presumably refers to the rather uniformly narrow dark marginal borders of the fore and hind wings in this species. Similarly, the epithet basifusca (Latin roots: "basi-" = basal; "fusca" = dusky, brown or darkened) presumably refers to the typically darkened base of the wings.
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Pepsis basifusca. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Hymenoptera includes over 150,000 described species of ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies. Earth harbors approximately 20 quadrillion (20×10^15) ants, with a combined biomass of ~12 megatons of dry carbon - exceeding the combined biomass of all wild birds and mammals (PNAS, 2022).
Ecological role of the group
About 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators. The chocolate industry, valued at over $100 billion, depends on pollinating flies and midges. Ants are the dominant soil engineers in most terrestrial ecosystems, turning more soil than earthworms in many habitats.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Pollinators contribute $235-577 billion worth of annual global food production (FAO). In the U.S., bee pollination alone benefits crops valued at $18 billion annually, and honey bees are responsible for $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity. Between April 2023-2024, 55.1% of managed honey bee colonies were lost. The U.S. bee population dropped from 5 million to 2.5 million.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, USDA, EPA, PNAS (2022), US Fish & Wildlife Service. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Pepsis basifusca (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Aaron Schusteff
Frequently Asked Questions About Pepsis basifusca
What is Pepsis basifusca?
Pepsis basifusca is a species in the family Pompilidae, within the order Hymenoptera.
How big is Pepsis basifusca?
BL = ♂ 11-22mm; ♀ 16-27mm
How do you identify Pepsis basifusca?
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Wings | Wings largely orangish, with rather uniformly-narrow dark borders along the margins of the fore and hind wings...which begin near the tip of the marginal cell, bend around the apex of the wing, and continue along the posterior edge to near the axillary excision. They also have a fairly large basal portion of the wing opaquely-darkened. |
| Antennae | Antennae entirely black. This is one of the 4 western NA species (the others being azteca, cerberus (=menechma) , and mildei ) with males having distinctive, dense, hair brushes on the lateral edges of the 4th sternite of the abdomen. (Females may have some short, sparse inconspicuous hairs on their sterna...but lack dense hair brushes). |
Where is Pepsis basifusca found?
Range: Far eastern CA and far southern NV; AZ, UT, NM, w. TX, CO, KS, and AR. ( 3 ) (Also south through Mexico to Panama).