Return to: Hymenoptera Index | Insect Index

Cerceris arenaria (Linnaeus, 1758).

Cerceris arenaria Cerceris arenaria
  • Cambridge, 22 Jun 2002.
  • C. arenaria stocks its nest with weevils (Vine Weevil size or slightly smaller)
  • NBN Atlas

Cerceris quinquefasciata (Rossi, 1792).

Cerceris quinquefasciata Cerceris quinquefasciata
  • Cambridge, 30 Jul 2018.
  • There are several similarly marked Cerceris spp. Female C. quinquefasciata have less yellow on the face than C. arenaria, and lack the protruding clypeus of C. ruficornis.
  • Takes smaller weevils than C. arenaria.
  • Less common than C. arenaria. NBN Atlas

Cerceris rybyensis (Linnaeus, 1771)

Cerceris rybyensis
  • Cambridge, 22 Jun 2002.
  • C. rybyensis stocks its nest with small solitary bees, such as Lasioglossum, Halictus, or Andrena dorsata.
  • NBN Atlas

Crossocerus sp.

Crossocerus
  • Cambridge, garden, 23 Sep 2001.
  • One of several very similar dark Crossocerus species.
  • Head + body length: 5.5mm

Ectemnius sexcinctus

Ectemnius sexcinctus Ectemnius sexcinctus
  • Cambridge, garden, 3 Sep 2007. Enlarge: (1) (2)
  • One of several very similar species. Thanks to Tim Strudwick for the "probable" identification: microscopic examination is necessary for certainty.
  • Members of the genus provision their nests with captured muscid or syrphid flies.
  • NBN Atlas

Gorytes laticinctus (Lepeletier, 1832)

Gorytes laticinctus
  • Cambridge, garden, 20 Jun 2016.
  • Very similar to the commoner Gorytes quadrifasciatus. The second yellow band is perceptibly wider in this species with a notch on the front edge.
  • Nests, in light soil or even mortar, are stocked with leaf-hoppers and frog-hoppers.
  • Mainly known from southern and eastern England, but may be expanding its range.
  • NBN Atlas - may be out-of-date

Common Spiny Digger Wasp Oxybelus uniglumis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Oxybelus uniglumis
  • Cambridge, garden, 24 Jun 2016.
  • Mostly nests in sand but sometimes in heavier soils.
  • Nests provisioned with flies, which may be carried impaled on the sting.
  • NBN Atlas

Bee-wolf Philanthus triangulum (Fabricius, 1790)

Philanthus triangulum
  • Cambridge, Old St Ives railway TL463614, 14 Jul 2002.
  • Named for the females' practice of catching live bees and paralysing them as food for their larvae.
  • Range has greatly expanded in recent decades. NBN Atlas

Return to: Hymenoptera Index | Insect Index