Vespid-wasps
Guides
Masarinae
Pollen Wasps
Masarinae, commonly known as pollen wasps, is a subfamily of solitary wasps within Vespidae. Unlike their social and predatory relatives, pollen wasps provision their nests exclusively with pollen and nectar, resembling bees in their foraging behavior. The subfamily is small but globally distributed, with notable diversity in western North America, southern Africa, southern Europe, central Asia, and Australia. In North America, only the genus Pseudomasaris occurs, with 14 species. Many species exhibit strong flower associations, often oligolectic, specializing on particular plant genera such as Penstemon, Phacelia, and Eriodyction.