HYMENOPTERA > APOCRITA | Aculeata > Crabronidae > Mellininae (Mellinidae)

Another medium to large (7-14mm body length) black and yellow banded wasp, superficially similar to a number of other Crabronid species, but one that can be distinguished by its body shape. It is a boldly marked elongate species with a thorax with yellow strip across the front and a yellow spot at the rear, a distinctive narrowed waist and an abdomen with two very solid wide yellow bands together with further variable bands towards the rear. There are also very noticeable yellow markings on the face, and the femora are black and yellow. The female of this species is much larger than the male, hence the variable body length.

Mellinus arvensis is a late season species, with the adults not being seen much before the end of July, but staying active through late summer and early autumn. They nest in sandy soil, often in aggregations, provisioning their nest cells with various species of large flies. In hard soils that are difficult to dig in, females will often try to take over another female’s burrow.

The species is regarded as one of the most common and widespread solitary wasps in Britain.