Small World Discoveries
by Tony Enticknap - tickspics
Taking a close look at insects and other small species that can be found in and around East Dorset and the New Forest ...
HYMENOPTERA | Stinging Wasps
Tiphiidae (Tiphiid Wasps)
Tiphiid wasps are represented in Britain by just three species; Tiphia femorata, Tiphia minuta and the sexually dimorphic Methocha articulata where the female is wingless and ant-like in appearance. Tiphia minuta and Methocha articulata are listed as being nationally scarce and although Tiphia femorata is more frequent, particularly in the south, it’s a species that you’re not going to encounter very often.
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Tiphiids are solitary wasps whose larvae are parasitoids of various beetle larvae.
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Tiphia femorata
Large Tiphia
HYMENOPTERA > APOCRITA | Aculeata > Tiphiidae > Tiphiinae
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Tiphia femorata is the larger of the two Tiphia species with females that are easily distinguished by their red legs. The males are smaller and dark-legged.
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They are a parasitoid of scarabaeid beetle larvae, particularly favouring Aphodius dung beetles and Amphimallon chafers. The female wasp burrows into the soil to seek out the beetle’s subterranean cells, which she will break into to attack and sting the beetle larva. The paralysis is temporary giving time for the wasp to lay a single egg on the larva, following which the host will continue to feed on grass roots until the wasp egg hatches and the ectoparasitoid larva devours it. Pupation of the wasp lava takes place in the host’s cell.
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The adults are most likely to be seen in July and August in disturbed sandy habitats such as coastal dunes, inland heaths and calcareous grasslands where they will visit the flowers of summer umbellifers such as hogweed and wild parsnip, also ragwort and spurge.
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Tiphia femorata (female)
Martin Down NNR, Hampshire | Aug.21