I spent quite a few days looking for interesting species of solitary wasps on Aylesbeare Common last summer and here's a selection of some of them.
DIGGER WASPS & CUCKOO WASPS
Ornate Tailed Digger Wasp/Ornate Bee Fox- Cerceris rybyensis.
This common digger wasp preys on small species of solitary bee.
Sand Tailed Digger Wasp/Weevil Wolf - Cerceris arenaria.
This common species preys on weevils. Here it can be seen carrying prey to its burrow.
Flange-faced Weevil Wolf - Cerceris ruficornis.
A less common species which preys on small weevils and leaf beetles. It can be identified by its unusual strongly protruding clypeal mid-lobe.
Noble Cuckoo Wasp - Hedychrum nobile
A kleptoparasitic brood parasite of the Cerceris digger wasp species featured above. Here it can be seen investigating the burrow of Cerceris arenaria.
Sheildbug Stalker - Astata boops
A small black and red digger wasp which preys on sheildbugs.
Dull Cuckoo Wasp - Hedychridium roseum.
This beautiful cuckoo wasp is the kleptoparasitic brood parasite of Astata boops.
Plantbug Fox - Lindenius albilabris
A small black species of digger wasp which preys on plant bugs, a mating pair seen here.
Large Shield Wasp/Slender bodied Digger Wasp - Crabro cribrarius
The male wasp has a shield-like plant on the front legs, from which it derives one of its common names.
OTHER SOLITARY WASPS
Heath Potter Wasp - Eumenes coarctatus
Large Velvet Ant - Mutilla europaea
A very unusual solitary wasp. The female is wingless, a feature which gives it an ant-like appearance, and leads to its being called a 'velvet ant' and are well known for having a very painful sting. They are a nest parasite of bumblebees.
Tiger Beetle Wasp - Methoca articulata
This small, scarce species is another with wingless females that resemble ants. They search for the burrows of predatory tiger beetle larvae and allow themselves to be captured and because of their tough ball-bearing like thoracic segments they evade the beetle larvae's jaws and are able sting it. Once it's paralysed they drag it to the bottom of its own burrow, lay an egg on it, fill in the entrance and go on to find their next victim.
