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Ornate Tailed Digger Wasp - Cerceris rybyensis
A black and yellow banded species which is similar to several others. Care is needed with identification.
Most solitary bees and wasps are difficult to identify, and can rarely be identified from photos taken in the field. All red-rated records should include a photo or set of photos of the specimen, illustrating the key characters taken from a standard key, which should also be referenced (e.g. ‘Falk, 2015’). The full set of key characters are generally not visible in field photos and photos are rarely sharp enough. To aid in the verification of your records, please include face shot, side, top and wings. The notes should state whether male or female, and explain how the specimen met the key characters. Although NS may not be able to identify the species even if these reference photos are provided, the photos will be stored with the record and may allow it be identified in future. Alternatively, NS will accept records identified by a recognised local or national expert, or that have been identified via BWARS’ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065021433202 . If you have obtained this advice, please note the name of the person/organisation identifying the record in the ‘determiner’ field (e.g. ‘Stuart Roberts, BWARS Facebook’) rather than just a comment of ‘BWARS Facebook’.
Commonly associated with sandy soils, both on the coast and inland. It may also be associated with chalk grassland and heavier soils.
Apparently single-brooded; late June to early September.
The prey consists of small and medium-sized bees of various genera, which are paralysed by stinging. Females of this wasp frequently nest in quite dense aggregations, usually on level, exposed compacted soil. For example, sites have included an unsurfaced road and an abandoned sand quarry in Dorset, and soil between the paving stones of a patio in Greater London. The nest consists of a deep (10 to 15 cm) burrow, from which short lateral burrows branch off and terminate in single cells.
Often locally common in southern England, though, surprisingly, there appear to be no confirmed records from Wales.
Status in Leicestershire and Rutland not known.
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Species profile
- Common names
- Ornate Tailed Digger Wasp
- Species group:
- Bees, Wasps, Ants
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
- Order:
- Hymenoptera
- Family:
- Crabronidae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 6
- First record:
- 02/07/2019 (Berriman, Matthew)
- Last record:
- 28/07/2024 (Dejardin, Andrew)
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% of records within its species group
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