Ants, Bees and Wasps in Colorado

Family Apidae bees
Family Formicidae Ants.
Family Halcitidae -- Sweat bees.
Family Ichneumonidae -- ichneumon wasps
Family Pompilidae -- Spider wasps.
Family Sphecidae -- Digger wasps, mud daubers, etc.
Family Vespidae Nearly 5,000 species, including almost all of the social wasps, and many solitary wasps.

Family Formicidae, Ants

Pavement ants (Tetramorium caespitum) commonly make their nests around foundations, under rocks and in cracks of sidewalks and driveways. They are a recent arrival to the state but are currently the most common ant found in homes. They are small ants (1/10 to 1/16 inch) with a dark body, pale-colored legs and antennae, and a series of grooves on their faces. Pavement ants forage on a variety of food that includes grease, meat, small seeds and sweets. (from Wikipedia) I used a low-power microscope to get these pictures. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Suborder: Apocrita Superfamily: Vespoidea Family: Formicidae Subfamily: Myrmicinae Genus: Tetramorium Species: Tetramorium caespitum
These ants are known as a wood ant, mound ant, and field ant. They are in the genus Formica, and this one is of the species F. pallidefulva, although the color markings also look like species F. incerta. There is some variablility in the color and markings in both species. This picture was taken by Alyssa Erickson. These ants are usually found in the Eastern U.S., but they have been found in Colorado, per antbase.org/ants/publications/21293/21293.pdf Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Formicidae Subfamily: Formicinae Tribe: Formicini Genus: Formica Species: pallidefulva
This large black ant is a Carpenter ant. The Picture was taken on 10 June 2008 in Colorado Springs, CO. It was accidently injured during the capture process. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Formicidae Subfamily: Formicinae Tribe: Camponotini Genus: Camponotus There are over a thousand species in the Camponotus Genus, many of them all black.
When I first took this picture, I thought it was a Black Wasp. It was on a Milkweed plant at the Fountain Creek Nature Center on 30 June 2009. But the more I look at photos and read descriptions, the more I think it is a Camponotus pennsylvanicus, Black Carpenter Ant. The rounded rear end looks more like an ant than a wasp.
This one was found on 1 July 2009 in my flower bed. It looks identical to the first Black Carpenter in the photo above, and also identical to the winged ant next to it. So, I conclude that this is also a Camponotus pennsylvanicus. It is 1.5 cm long, not counting antenna.
These ants have not been identified yet, but they may be carpenter ants. They were swarming out of a hole in the ground in our back yard in Colorado Springs on 2 August 2009. They were about 6mm in length, and with very large pinchers.
Red harvester ants. These ants mostly collect seeds in large quantities. They can deliver large numbers of painful bites when agitated. The second photo is their nest, about 18" across. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Formicidae Subfamily: Myrmicinae Tribe: Myrmicini Genus: Pogonomyrmex Species: P. barbatus These pictures were taken on 8 May 2008, near the Fountain, CO Nature Center.
A winged ant. Could be either male or female. I found it with other ants. Identification is pending. Maybe a Crematogaster queen. July 5, 2008 in Colorado Springs.

Family Halictidae -- Sweat bees.

This is a version of the Sweat Bee, probably called that because they can be attracted to the salt in a person's perspiration. They are small, about 1/4", less than 5/16". This is the second year that they have their nest under my sidewalk. The pictures were taken May 4, 2008.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Suborder: Apocrita
Superfamily: Apoidea
Family: Halictidae
Species: rubincundus
There are several sub-families, and many species, but this species is the Halictus rubicundus. The female can administer a mild sting if she is pinched.

An unknown bee on an unknown flower, at the Fountain Creek Nature Center on 25 July 2009. Identification has not been made yet. It might be the sweat bee, like the preceding bee.

Family Apidae. bees

The first two pictures show a Honey bee, Apis mellifera, on a Milkweed plant at the Fountain Creek Nature Center on 28 June 2009. This one is a worker bee. The third, fourth and fifth pictures were taken 26 September 2008 in Colorado Springs, CO. They show one or two more honey bees. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Subclass: Pterygota Infraclass: Neoptera Superorder: Endopterygota Order: Hymenoptera Suborder: Apocrita Family: Apidae Subfamily: Apinae Tribe: Apini Genus: Apis Species: mellifera
Bumblebee. These appear to be the Two-spotted Bumblebee, Bombus bimaculatus. The first two pictures were taken on 20 June and 30 July, 2008, on a Milkweed plant at the Fountain Creek Nature Center. The third picture was taken on 18 July 2009, same place. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Apidae Subfamily: Apinae Tribe: Bombini Genus: Bombus Species: B. bimaculatus (probably, but there are more than 250 species and subspecies in 15 subgenera.)
This is another species of Bumble Bee, species Bombus huntii. Pictures taken 21 September 2008 in Colorado Springs, on a Marigold flower. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Apidae Subfamily: Apinae Genus: Bombus Species: B. huntii
This Bee was photographed by Alyssa Erickson in July 2009. Identification is pending. But the long antenna might mean that this is a Wasp, not a Bee.

Vespidae family, nearly 5,000 species, including almost all of the social wasps, and many solitary wasps.

This is a Common Aerial Yellowjacket (Dolichovespula arenaria) also known as a Sandhill hornet. Picture taken 20 May 2009 in Colorado Springs, CO. This one is probably a Queen.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae
Subfamily: Vespinae
Genus: Dolichovespula
Species: arenaria (Common Aerial Yellowjacket)

We call this one a Yellow Jacket, but it is actually a predatory wasp called the European Paper Wasp (Polistes dominulus). It is the most common of the insects that we call Yellow Jackets. It originated in Europe, came to New Jersey in 1968, and has spread over the United States since then. The first picture was taken on August 4, 2008 in El Paso Co., CO. The fourth and fifth pictures were taken on 27 July 2009 in Colorado Springs, CO.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae
Subfamily: Polistinae
Genus: Polistes
Species: P. dominulus

This one is a Yellowjacket. These pictures, taken 15 May 2008 in Colorado Springs, are of a Prairie Yellowjacket, Vespula atropilosa, according to some experts on bugguide.net/node/view/15740. They say that this species is not common, and these pictures of it are the first to be put on that web site. This one is a reproductive female. It looks similar to the Western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica.
This one was not healthy. I found her walking across my garage floor, and she made no attempt to escape when I picked her up and took her outside for photos. Within an hour after I finished taking pictures, she curled up and died.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae
Subfamily: Vespinae
Genus: Vespula
Species: atropilosa

This is a Western Yellowjacket, very common in North America. This one is a worker. These pictures were taken on 13 November 2008 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae
Subfamily: Vespinae
Genus: Vespula
Species: pensylvanica

This is probably a Pollen Wasp, found at Fountain Creek, just west of Manitou Springs, CO on 28 August 2009. It might be a Pseudomasaris edwardsii.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Suborder: Apocrita
Superfamily: Vespoidea
Family: Vespidae
Subfamily: Masarinae

This nest was found on the bottom side of a railroad tie which had been used for landscaping, and was well rotted. When it was turned over, the nest was still intact. A slight touch caused the outer paper shell to break in half. It had been a little larger than a ping-pong ball. The picture was taken on 30 June 2009 in Colorado springs, CO.
Eric R. Eaton, on bugguide.net/node/view/324660#499708 says that this is an "Embryonic "queen nest," probably built by one of the subterranean species in the genus Vespula. All Vespinae construct a paper envelope over the paper comb like this. The envelope has several layers in more mature nests."

This nest was found at the hightest point of the eaves of my house in Colorado Springs on 13 June 2010. Getting it down destroyed it -- very fragile. It looks the same as the one found on the bottom of a landscaping timber in June 2009, but this one is not subterranean.

Family Sphecidae -- Digger wasps, mud daubers, etc.

Thread-waisted wasp. Pictures taken 4 August 2008. Determining the species is usually done by an expert by an autopsy under a microscope.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Suborder: Apocrita
Superfamily: Apoidea
Family: Sphecidae (Digger wasps, mud daubers, etc)
Sub-Family: Ammophila (probably)

Black and Yellow Mud dauber. This was found by Fountain Creek, just west of Manitou Springs, CO. on 28 August 2009.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Sphecidae
Genus: Sceliphron
Species: S. caementarium

I found this one on January 13 2010, on the wall of my garage, near the ceiling, and in back of some boxes. I have no idea how long it had been there. It was about 1 inch long. Mud daubers make this kind of housing for their larva, but usually several grouped together.

Family Ichneumonidae -- ichneumon wasps

A parasitic wasp in the Ichneumonidae family, genus Enicospilus. It was found on 4 July 2009 on the back of my house, near a small light which is on 24/7.
There are thousands of species in this family, and they are difficult to sort out even by people specializing in this family. The extra black spots on top of the head are primitive eyes.
At first, I thought that this was a fly, some relative of the Crane Fly. But I learned that flies have two wings, and wasps have four. Plus, flies do not usually have long antenna like this, but wasps do.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Suborder: Apocrita
Superfamily: Ichneumonoidea
Family: Ichneumonidae
Subfamily: Ophioninae
Genus: Enicospilus

Family Pompilidae -- Spider wasps

This one is a large wasp, called a Tarantula Hawk. They received that name from their habit of hunting and killing tarantula spiders as food for their larva. It was at least 1" long, not counting the antenna. It was seen on 20 August, 2008, at the Fountain Creek Nature Center, CO.
According to some descriptions on the internet, this wasp has the most painful sting of any other insect. Some say that if you are stung by one of these, it will hurt so much that all you will be able to do is scream.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Suborder: Apocrita
Superfamily: Vespoidea
Family: Pompilidae
Subfamily: Pepsinae
Tribe: Pepsini

This is a Common Aerial Yellowjacket (Dolichovespula arenaria) also known as a Sandhill hornet. Picture taken 20 May 2009 in Colorado Springs, CO. This one is probably a Queen. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Vespidae Subfamily: Vespinae Genus: Dolichovespula Species: arenaria (Common Aerial Yellowjacket)
We call this one a Yellow Jacket, but it is actually a predatory wasp called the European Paper Wasp (Polistes dominulus). It is the most common of the insects that we call Yellow Jackets. It originated in Europe, came to New Jersey in 1968, and has spread over the United States since then. The first picture was taken on August 4, 2008 in El Paso Co., CO. The fourth and fifth pictures were taken on 27 July 2009 in Colorado Springs, CO. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Vespidae Subfamily: Polistinae Genus: Polistes Species: P. dominulus
This one is a Yellowjacket. These pictures, taken 15 May 2008 in Colorado Springs, are of a Prairie Yellowjacket, Vespula atropilosa, according to some experts on bugguide.net/node/view/15740. They say that this species is not common, and these pictures of it are the first to be put on that web site. This one is a reproductive female. It looks similar to the Western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica. This one was not healthy. I found her walking across my garage floor, and she made no attempt to escape when I picked her up and took her outside for photos. Within an hour after I finished taking pictures, she curled up and died. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Vespidae Subfamily: Vespinae Genus: Vespula Species: atropilosa
This is a Western Yellowjacket, very common in North America. This one is a worker. These pictures were taken on 13 November 2008 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Vespidae Subfamily: Vespinae Genus: Vespula Species: pensylvanica
This is probably a Pollen Wasp, found at Fountain Creek, just west of Manitou Springs, CO on 28 August 2009. It might be a Pseudomasaris edwardsii. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Suborder: Apocrita Superfamily: Vespoidea Family: Vespidae Subfamily: Masarinae
This nest was found on the bottom side of a railroad tie which had been used for landscaping, and was well rotted. When it was turned over, the nest was still intact. A slight touch caused the outer paper shell to break in half. It had been a little larger than a ping-pong ball. The picture was taken on 30 June 2009 in Colorado springs, CO. Eric R. Eaton, on bugguide.net/node/view/324660#499708 says that this is an "Embryonic "queen nest," probably built by one of the subterranean species in the genus Vespula. All Vespinae construct a paper envelope over the paper comb like this. The envelope has several layers in more mature nests."
This nest was found at the hightest point of the eaves of my house in Colorado Springs on 13 June 2010. Getting it down destroyed it -- very fragile. It looks the same as the one found on the bottom of a landscaping timber in June 2009, but this one is not subterranean.

Thread-waisted wasp. Pictures taken 4 August 2008. Determining the species is usually done by an expert by an autopsy under a microscope. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Suborder: Apocrita Superfamily: Apoidea Family: Sphecidae (Digger wasps, mud daubers, etc) Sub-Family: Ammophila (probably)
Black and Yellow Mud dauber. This was found by Fountain Creek, just west of Manitou Springs, CO. on 28 August 2009. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Sphecidae Genus: Sceliphron Species: S. caementarium
I found this one on January 13 2010, on the wall of my garage, near the ceiling, and in back of some boxes. I have no idea how long it had been there. It was about 1 inch long. Mud daubers make this kind of housing for their larva, but usually several grouped together.