HYMENOPTERA | Stinging Wasps

APOCRITA | Aculeata

Apart from the odd photo taken in the garden of common wasps, I’d never given this particular group of insects any thought until I started reading about hymenopteran species towards the end of 2020. I had absolutely no idea how many different types of wasps we have in Britain or, indeed, how many species there are in some of the families. In fact, I wasn't even aware that we had more than two types of social wasp. I suppose I just thought that a wasp was an annoying black-and-yellow species that would pester you late in the summer when eating out doors.

Fortunately, I moved on from there and now consider wasps in general as perhaps the most interesting of all the species I find and photograph. The thing that has surprised me though is that, unlike bees, there are very few books dedicated to wasps where you can read up on the different species and have good information to assist with identification. Yes, there are a couple of specialist handbooks that provide details of certain species coupled with ‘keys’ to assist entomologists that want to identify specimens, but apart from a few pages in general insect guides such as the excellent ‘Britain’s Insects’ by Paul Brock, you have to rely on various internet resources. Naturally you’d have thought that the BWARS (Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society) website would provide all the information you’d need, but sadly that’s not the case, because apart from the fact that it only covers the aculeate species, descriptions are pretty basic and, in my opinion, it’s a site to assist recording rather than identifying. With that said, the associated FB group is pretty good and with a bit of perseverance you can get advice and id assistance for most species.

As with all my collections, clicking any of the thumbnail photos below will take you to a dedicated ‘species account’ page with varying amounts of information about that particular species and/or family, and with additional images that can be enlarged. The only difference being that most of these wasp accounts include a bit of extra detail to assist with id.

Crabronidae (Digger Wasps)

The Crabronidae was previously treated as a division of the Sphecidae family, but was separated and split into subfamilies, which are now in the process of being elevated to their own family status following a recent phylogenetic study. The proposal would change the current taxonomic ranking of Astatinae, Bembicinae, Mellininae, Pemphredoninae and Philanthinae, leaving Crabroninae (sensu stricto) to become the new Crabronidae. It will inevitably take a little while for these proposals to take effect and, therefore, the following listing sticks with the classification system that’s used in most literature appertaining to these species.

Crabronids are solitary predatory wasps that visit flowers for nectar, but prey on insects or, in some cases, spiders to provision their nest cells. Although some members of the family construct their nests in dead wood or hollow stems, they’re collectively known as digger wasps as the majority of the species dig burrows in the ground. They generally rest with their wings folded flat over their body, and have a pronotum that forms a small collar that does not extend back to the wing bases. The submarginal wing cells provide important clues to the identification of the 120 or so British species. Whilst many have attractive black and yellow striped abdomens, they are so superficially similar in appearance that identification to species level is challenging, if not impossible, even from well detailed photos.

Digger Wasps

Astatinae (Astatidae)

The Astatinae are a group of solitary digger wasps that are peculiar for the males having very large compound eyes that broadly meet at the top of the head. There are only two extant species recorded on the British List, Astata boops and Dryudella pinguis, with the latter awaiting a review of its current status.

Astata boops

Shieldbug Digger Wasp

Bembicinae (Bembicidae)

The Bembicinae subfamily is represented in Britain by a dozen species in several genera, that were formally in the Nyssoninae, Bembicini tribe, the higher taxon of which is still used by BWARS.

Argogorytes mystaceus

Two-girdled Digger Wasp

Lestiphorus bicinctus

Dark-winged Digger Wasp

Crabroninae (sensu stricto)

The largest and most diverse group of digger wasps including some of the more well-known and popular species from genera, such as Crabo, Crossocerus, Ectemnius, Oxybelus and Trypoxylon. Older classification systems have some genera in Larrinae, a taxon still used by BWARS. Because of the difficulty in separating and accurately identifying Ectemnius species, the following three photos all link through to the same common page where each species is described.

Ectemnius cf.cephalotes

Large Ectemnius

Oxybelus uniglumis

Common Spiny Digger Wasp

Ectemnius cf.continuus

Common Ectemnius

Ectemnius cf.lituratus

Woodland Ectemnius

Trypoxylon attenuatum

Slender Wood Borer Wasp

Mellininae (Mellinidae)

Although there are still two species on the British List, Mellinus arvensis is, in effect, the only representative of this subfamily as the other species is very likely extinct given that the last recorded sighting was in Scotland way back in 1952.

Mellinus arvensis

Field Digger Wasp

Philanthinae (Philanthidae)

The Philanthinae subfamily is represented in Britain by just seven species in two genera, Cerceris (6) and Philanthus (1).

Cerceris arenaria

Sand Tailed Digger Wasp

Cerceris ruficornis

Red-legged Digger Wasp

Cerceris rybyensis

Ornate Tailed Digger Wasp

Philanthus triangulum

Bee-wolf

Sphecidae (Sand Wasps)

The two featured species below are so similar that it makes sense to describe both together, so clicking either thumbnail will take you to the same family page and associated combined 'species account'.

Sand Wasps

Ammophila pubescens

Heath Sand Wasp

Ammophila sabulosa

Red-banded Sand Wasp

Chrysididae (Cuckoo Wasps)

Clicking the thumbnail image below will take you to a combined 'species account' and brief introduction to the Chrysididae family of cuckoo wasps, also known as ruby-tailed or jewel wasps.

Cuckoo Wasps

Hedychrum nobile

Noble Cuckoo Wasp

Pompilidae (Spider-hunting Wasps)

The identification of most spider wasps is really difficult from photos, which is why I've combined all the following 'species accounts' together on a single Pompilidae family page.

Spider-hunting Wasps

Priocnemis cf.fennica

Spider Wasp

Priocnemis cf.perturbator

Spider Wasp

Anoplius nigerrimus

Common Black Spider Wasp

Episyron rufipes

Red-legged Spider Wasp

Mutillidae (Velvet Ants)

Although the common name for this small family tends to imply that the Mutillidae are ants, they are actually ant-like solitary wasps. Clicking the following thumbnail will provide further information together with a 'species account'.

Velvet Ants

Smicromyrme rufipes

Small Velvet Ant

Tiphiidae (Tiphiid Wasps)

Clicking the thumbnail image below will take you to a combined 'species account' and a brief introduction to the Tiphiidae wasp family.

Tiphia femorata

Large Tiphia

Tiphiid Wasps

Vespidae (Vespoid Wasps)

This family combines two distinct groups of closely related species with rather different lifestyles. Whereas the potter and mason wasps are solitary species that construct their nests from mud or clay, the Vespinae social wasps build their structures from paper that is produced by chewing wood fibres. These communal nests are complex and consist of hundreds, if not thousands, of individual cells so that each developing larvae is separated. The solitary Eumaninae species provision their nests or pots with insect prey such as caterpillars and seal them closed. The social wasps are different as they continue to catch prey all the time their larvae are growing. There are 22 resident species of potter and mason wasps plus a few accidentally imported that might be encountered. They are unlikely to sting you unless they feel particularly threatened. The social wasps and hornets of which there are 10 species will sting you, but generally only in defence or when protecting their nests. The main culprits are the common wasp workers that are attracted to sweet substances in late summer often gathering in small numbers at picnics and barbecues. Further information can be found on the following 'species accounts'.

Eumeninae (Potter and Mason Wasps)

Potter and Mason Wasps