Observations by kneubaue

~5 mm body with dark almond shaped eyes. Had a white furry face with yellow mandibles and clypeus, a light gray furry mesosoma, and a black metasoma with white bands. Apex of marginal cell pointed with 3 submarginal cells (2nd image). This small bee tucked itself into a Coreopsis tinctoria spent flower cup to rest with an outside temperature of 88 degrees F. Andreninae? Needs expert review.

Larger wasp female (bottom), ~1 mm body. Other wasp (top) male, ~.5mm The male lifted wings straight up and flew onto the mesosoma of the larger wasp. The male wasp tapped the female antennae with his own for a second; displaying courting behavior but flew off 10 seconds later. Wing venation of both matched Pachyneuron. On an aphid covered Erigeron canadensis leaf with an outside temperature of 88 degrees F.

~4 mm body with 31 or 32 flagellomeres. On the underside of a Gaillardia flower. A caterpillar catapulted off a flower hanging by a silk thread which attracted attention to this wasp. Perhaps the wasp was attempting to oviposit into it.

~4 mm black body with very long dark antennae. Thought this wasp had a long exerted ovipositor but that could have been the post marginal wing venation. Resting on a gold lantana flower located next to a small garden pond. AI was "pretty sure" of genus.

A female was feeding another female inside the nest entrance in a pine carved bear on a windy 80 degree F day. 2nd image shows other smaller nest holes used by Chelostomoides bees for the last 4 years.

~5 mm black body. Had white setae on legs, white bands on metasoma, white spots in the 4 corners of the scutellum, with a white collar on pronotum near head. Returned to a tiny hole (nest) in hard alkaline soil.

~1.5 body with wings ~.5 mm longer than shiny black body, smooth mesoscutum. Oviposited into a nymph aphid after palpating it with antennae. The nymph was alive but not moving much. Perhaps it had been paralyzed previously. On an Erigeron canadensis leaf with an outside temperature of 91 degrees F. "Charipinae (the only group of cynipoids that are parasitoids (in this case hyperparasitoid) of aphids," according to a note on the info. page by Bob Zuparko on BugGuide

~1 mm tiny black body. Observed ovipositing into a parasitized aphid on an Erigeron canadensis leaf. Most likely following after Lysiphlebus (Braconid) wasps observed parasitizing aphids as primary host; hyperparasitoids.

~1.5 mm body with wings .5 longer. Antennal placement between the eyes on the lower face but not near the mouth. On the underside of an Erigeron canadensis leaf. 2nd image flipped 180 degrees for better view. Observed consuming a live aphid (hyperparasitoid host-feeding?) and a glob of the aphid was stuck to an antennae. The wasp spent some time grooming afterward. Possibly the genus Alloxysta. Charipinae (the only group of cynipoids that are parasitoids (in this case hyperparasitoids) of aphids.