''Pseudomasaris'' is a genus of
pollen wasp
Pollen wasps, the Masarinae, are unusual wasps that are typically treated as a subfamily of Vespidae, but have in the past sometimes been recognized as a separate family, "Masaridae", which also included the subfamilies Euparagiinae and Gayellina ...
s of the family
Vespidae, found in arid regions of western
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
.
They feed their larvae on the
pollen
Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...
and
nectar
Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...
of a variety of plants, though many species prefer flowers in the genus ''
Phacelia''.
They are colored black with yellow or white markings that, in a few species, resemble the coloration of
yellowjackets.
Species
''Pseudomasaris'' contains 15 species:
*''
Pseudomasaris basirufus''
Rohwer, 1912
*''
Pseudomasaris cazieri''
Bohart, 1963
*''
Pseudomasaris coquilletti''
Rohwer, 1911
*''
Pseudomasaris edwardsii
''Pseudomasaris'' is a genus of pollen wasps of the family Vespidae, found in arid regions of western North America. They feed their larvae on the pollen and nectar of a variety of plants, though many species prefer flowers in the genus '' Phace ...
''
(Cresson, 1872)
*''
Pseudomasaris macneilli''
Bohart, 1963
*''
Pseudomasaris macswaini''
Bohart, 1963
*''
Pseudomasaris maculifrons''
(Fox, 1894)
*''
Pseudomasaris marginalis''
(Cresson, 1864)
*''
Pseudomasaris micheneri''
Bohart, 1963
*''
Pseudomasaris occidentalis''
(Cresson, 1871)
*''
Pseudomasaris phaceliae''
Rohwer, 1912
*''
Pseudomasaris texanus
''Pseudomasaris'' is a genus of pollen wasps of the family Vespidae, found in arid regions of western North America. They feed their larvae on the pollen and nectar of a variety of plants, though many species prefer flowers in the genus '' Phace ...
''
(Cresson, 1871)
*''
Pseudomasaris vespoides
''Pseudomasaris vespoides'' is a species of pollen wasp in the family Vespidae
The Vespidae are a large (nearly 5000 species), diverse, cosmopolitan family of wasps, including nearly all the known eusocial wasps (such as ''Polistes fuscatus' ...
''
(Cresson, 1863)
*''
Pseudomasaris wheeleri
''Pseudomasaris'' is a genus of pollen wasps of the family Vespidae, found in arid regions of western North America. They feed their larvae on the pollen and nectar of a variety of plants, though many species prefer flowers in the genus '' Phace ...
''
Bequard, 1929
*''
Pseudomasaris zonalis
''Pseudomasaris'' is a genus of pollen wasps of the family Vespidae, found in arid regions of western North America. They feed their larvae on the pollen and nectar of a variety of plants, though many species prefer flowers in the genus '' Phace ...
''
(Cresson, 1864)
References
External links
''Pseudomasaris'' ZipCodeZoo
''Pseudomasaris'' Global Biodiversity Information Facility
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7254947
Vespidae
Hymenoptera of North America