Ornate Tailed Digger Wasp - Cerceris rybyensis

Description

A black and yellow banded species which is similar to several others.  Care is needed with identification.

Identification difficulty
Recording advice

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’.

Habitat

Commonly associated with sandy soils, both on the coast and inland.  It may also be associated with chalk grassland and heavier soils.

When to see it

Apparently single-brooded; late June to early September.

Life History

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.

UK Status

Often locally common in southern England, though, surprisingly, there appear to be no confirmed records from Wales.

VC55 Status

Status in Leicestershire and Rutland not known.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

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)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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