List of Parasitica of Great Britain facts for kids
Wasps are amazing insects that belong to a large group called Hymenoptera. This group also includes bees and ants, but wasps are special because they are neither of these. In Great Britain, you can find many different kinds of wasps, each with unique habits and appearances. This article will introduce you to some of the fascinating wasp families found there.
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Cuckoo Wasps (Family Chrysididae)
Cuckoo wasps are known for their beautiful, shiny bodies that often look metallic blue, green, or red. They get their name because, like cuckoo birds, they often lay their eggs in the nests of other insects. This means their young will grow up using the food collected by another wasp or bee.
Some cuckoo wasps you might find in Great Britain include:
- Chrysis ignita
- Chrysis ruddii
- Chrysis viridula
Spider Wasps (Family Pompilidae)
Spider wasps are incredible hunters! They are famous for catching and paralyzing spiders to feed their young. A female spider wasp will sting a spider, making it unable to move. Then, she drags it back to a burrow or nest she has prepared. She lays an egg on the spider, and when the egg hatches, the wasp larva has a fresh meal.
Different Kinds of Spider Wasps
There are many types of spider wasps in Great Britain. They are grouped into different sub-families and genera.
Ceropales Wasps
- Ceropales maculata is one example.
Auplopus Wasps
- Auplopus carbonarius is a type of spider wasp.
Cryptocheilus Wasps
- Cryptocheilus notatus can be found here.
Dipogon Wasps
- Dipogon bifasciatus
- Dipogon subintermedius
- Dipogon variegatus
Priocnemis Wasps
- Priocnemis perturbator is another example.
Anoplius Wasps
- Anoplius nigerrimus
Aporus Wasps
- Aporus unicolor
Episyron Wasps
- Episyron gallicum
- Episyron rufipes
Evagetes Wasps
- Evagetes crassicornis
Homonotus Wasps
- Homonotus sanguinolentus
Pompilus Wasps
- Pompilus cinereus is also known as the Leaden spider wasp.
Vespidae Family (Potter, Mason, and Social Wasps)
The Vespidae family is a very diverse group. It includes solitary wasps like potter and mason wasps, as well as the well-known social wasps like hornets and common wasps.
Potter and Mason Wasps (Subfamily Eumeninae)
These wasps are solitary, meaning they live alone, not in large colonies. They are called "potter" or "mason" wasps because of the amazing nests they build. They use mud or clay to create small, pot-like structures or cells where they lay their eggs. They then stock these cells with paralyzed caterpillars or beetle larvae for their young to eat.
Some examples include:
- Eumenes coarctatus
- Pterochilus phaleratus
- Euodynerus quadrifasciatus
- Pseudepipona herrichii – also known as the Purbeck Mason-wasp
- Odynerus melanocephalus
- Odynerus spinipes
- Odynerus reniformis
- Odynerus simillimus
- Gymnomerus laevipes
- Microdynerus exilis
- Ancistrocerus antilope
- Ancistrocerus gazella
- Ancistrocerus nigricornis
- Ancistrocerus parietinus
- Ancistrocerus parietum
- Ancistrocerus quadratus
- Ancistrocerus scoticus
- Ancistrocerus trifasciatus
- Symmorphus bifasciatus
- Symmorphus connexus
- Symmorphus crassicornis
- Symmorphus gracilis
Social Wasps (Subfamily Vespinae)
These are the wasps most people think of when they hear the word "wasp." They live in large, organized colonies with a queen, workers, and drones, much like bees. They build nests out of chewed wood pulp, giving them a papery texture.
Hornets (Genus Vespa)
Hornets are the largest social wasps. In Great Britain, you can find the:
- Vespa crabro – known as the European hornet. They are much larger than other wasps and can look quite intimidating, but they are generally not aggressive unless their nest is disturbed.
Dolichovespula Wasps
This group includes several common social wasps:
- Dolichovespula media – the median wasp
- Dolichovespula norwegica – the Norwegian wasp
- Dolichovespula saxonica – the Saxon wasp
- Dolichovespula sylvestris – the Tree wasp
Vespula Wasps (Typical Social Wasps)
These are the most common wasps you'll see around picnics or in your garden.
- Vespula austriaca
- Vespula rufa – the red wasp
- Vespula germanica – the German wasp
- Vespula vulgaris – the common wasp
Digger Wasps (Family Crabronidae)
Digger wasps are another group of solitary wasps. They get their name because the females dig burrows in the ground to create nests for their young. They hunt various insects, paralyzing them to stock their nests.
Two interesting digger wasps found in Great Britain are:
- Cerceris rybyensis – also called the ornate tailed digger wasp
- Philanthus triangulum – known as the European beewolf, because it specializes in hunting bees!
