Official name
Synonyms
Symmorphus crassicornis [Soortenregister]
Vespa crassicornis
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CONTENTS
1. Distribution
2. Behaviour
3. Plant relations
4. Prey relations
5. Parasitic relations
6. Identification
1. DISTRIBUTION
Symmorphus crassicornis is a rare wasp [Waarneming.nl] in the Netherlands and is found especially in the east, middle and south of the country [Soortenregister],[Peeters et al. 2004],[Waarneming.nl].
2. BEHAVIOUR
2.1. ACTIVITY
The species is active from beginning of May until the end of September [Peeters et al. 2004].
2.2. DEVELOPMENT
Nest
Symmorphus crassicornis nests in various cylindrical cavities, natural or artificial. Old boreholes in poplar or alder are preferred.
BEE HOTEL
The wasp uses artificial nesthelp and has a preference for:
– nest blocks higher than 2 meters [Budrienne 2004]
– nest blocks with an orientation North or West (hypotheses), the species also uses nest blocks oriented South or East [Budrienne 2004]
– nest holes with a diameter of 3-8 mm [Budrienne 2004],[Schneider 1991]
Egg
The egg is 2,25mm long and 0,75mm wide [Woydak 2006].
3. PLANT RELATIONS
3.1. WOOD TYPES
The following wood types are mentioned in literature as medium for the wasp to built her nests:
| – | – |
3.2. FOOD PLANTS
Adult Symmorphus crassicornis wasps feed on nectar.
The following plant species are mentioned in literature as food sources:
| APICACEAE [Woydak 2006] | – Pastinaca sativa (Parsnip) [Gusenleitner 1999] |
| SCROPHULARIACEAE | – Scrophularia nodosa (Common figwort) [Woydak 2006] |
4. PREY RELATIONS
The species is narrow oligophfagous on beetle larvae from the families of leafbeetles (CHRYSOMELIDAE), snoutbeetles (CURCULIONIDAE), and butterflies (LEPIDOPTERA). Also larvae of Tenthredinidae wasps are mentioned [Peeters et al. 2004].
She finds her prey in various trees and shrubbery.
The following species and group occurring in the Netherlands [Soortenregister] are mentioned in literature:
| COLEOPTERA (Beetles) | CHRYSOMELIDAE (Leaf beetles) Chrysomela – Chrysomela populi [Woydak 2006],[Budriene 2003] – Chrysomela saliceti [Woydak 2006],[Budriene 2003] – Chrysomela lapponicum [Budriene 2003] – Chrysomela vigintipunctata [Smit et al. 2019] Plagiosterna – Plagiosterna aenea (Linaeidea aenea) [Budriene 2003] CURCULIONIDAE (Weevils) [Ruchin & Antropov 2019],[Peeters et al. 2004] |
| LEPIDOPTERA (Butterflies) | Cosmopterigidae (Cosmet moths) [Ruchin & Antropov 2019 (als Cosmopterygidae)] Heliozelidae (Shield-bearer moths) [Ruchin & Antropov 2019] Gracillariidae [Ruchin & Antropov 2019 (as Lithocolletidae)] Nepticulidae [Ruchin & Antropov 2019 (as Stigmellidae)] Tischeriidae [Ruchin & Antropov 2019] |
Symmorphus crassicornis looks for her prey in the following plant species:
| Prey | Plant |
|---|---|
| Chrysomela populi | Aspen (Populus tremula) [Peeters et al. 2004] |
| Chrysomela saliceti | Grey willow (Salix cinerea) [Peeters et al. 2004] |
| Plagiosterna aenea | Grey alder (Alnus incana) [Peeters et al. 2004] |
5. PARASITIC RELATIONS
The following species and groups occurring in the Netherlands [Soortenregister] are mentioned in literature:
| HYMENOPTERA (Wasps) | CHRYSIDIDAE Chrysis – Chrysis ignita [Woydak 2006],Peeters et al. 2004] – Chrysis fulgida [Woydak 2006],Peeters et al. 2004],[Paern et al. 2015] – Chrysis longula [Ruchin & Antropov 2019] |
Parasitic species outside the Netherlands:
| – | – |
6. IDENTIFICATION
Length males: 10 – 12 mm
Length females: 11 – 16 mm
Genus
The genus Symmorphus can be identified using the following characters:
1. Abdomen: tergum I with longitudinal furrow [Schmid-Egger 2004]
2. Abdomen: transverse ridge on tergum I well developed [Schmid-Egger 2004]
1. Abdomen: tergum I punctation well articulated [Schmid-Egger 2004]
2. Abdomen: at least tergites I-IV with yellow band [Gusenleitner 1999]
3. Abdomen: tergum II within yellow band densely punctated [Gusenleitner 1999]
4. Thorax: mesonotum and mesopleuron with wooly white hairs [Schmid-Egger 2004]
(not visible in photos, probably already worn down, white hairs are visible)
5. Thorax: mesopleuron glossy and with wide spread punctuation [Schmid-Egger 2004],[Gusenleitner 1999]
6. Thorax: parapsidal furrows on scutum run from scutellem up to pronotum [Gusenleitner 1999]
7. Thorax: large yellow spots on pronotum sides (P), and yellow spots on sides (mesopleuron, M), tegula (T) and scutellum (S) [Schmid-Egger 2004]
8. Head: Cephalic foveae no larger than ocelle and separated more than space between ocelli [Schmid-Egger 2004]
9. Kop: antennal scape with yellow spot [Schmid-Egger 2004]
10. Kop: yellow spot above antennae implants [Schmid-Egger 2004]
11. Legs: shins yellow, Shin I with black spot [Gusenleitner 1999], tarsi legs II and III dark[Ahw.me]
1. Antenna: with 12 segments [Schmid-Egger 2004]
2. Abdomen: with 6 segments [Schmid-Egger 2004]
3. Head: clypeus at least with yellow band [Schmid-Egger 2004]
–
1. Antenna: with 13 segments [Schmid-Egger 2004]
2. Abdomen: with 7 segments [Schmid-Egger 2004]
3. Antenna: antennal segment 13 as long as wide [Schmid-Egger 2004]
Literature
Ahw.me Albert de Wilde, Insecten fotosite ahw.me, WespenBudriene 2003 Budrienė, A., 2003. Prey of Symmorphus Wasps (Hymenoptera: Eumeninae) in Lithuania. Acta Zoologica Lituanica. 13. 306-310. 10.1080/13921657.2003.10512686.
Budriene 2004 Budriene, A., 2004. Reproductive ecology and behaviour of predatory wasps (Hymenoptera: Eumeninae). Doctor al thesis. Vilnius.
Gusenleitner 1999 Gusenleitner, J., 1999. Bestimmungstabellen mittel-und südeuropäischer Eumeniden (Vespoidea, Hymenoptera) Teil 12. Die Gattung Symmorphus Wesmael 1836. na.
Paern et al. 2015 Paern, M., Soon, V., Vallisoo, T., Hovi, K., & Luig, J., 2015. Host specificity of the tribe Chrysidini (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) in Estonia ascertained with trap-nesting. European Journal of Entomology, 112(1), 91-99.
Peeters et al. 2004 Peeters, T.M.J., C. van Achterberg, W.R.B. Heitmans, W.F. Klein, V. Lefeber, A.J. van Loon, A.A. Mabelis, H. Nieuwen-huijsen, M. Reemer, J. de Rond, J. Smit, H.H.W. Velthuis, 2004. De wespen en mieren van Nederland (Hymenoptera: Aculeata). – Nederlandse Fauna 6. Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum Naturalis, Leiden, knnv Uitgeverij, Utrecht & European Invertebrate Survey – Nederland, Leiden.
Ruchin & Antropov 2019 Ruchin, A. & Antropov, A., 2019. Wasp fauna (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae, Chrysididae, Dryinidae, Tiphiidae, Mutillidae, Scoliidae, Pompilidae, Vespidae, Sphecidae, Crabronidae & Trigonalyidae) of Mordovia State Nature Reserve and its surroundings in Russia. Journal of Threatened Taxa. 11. 13195-13250. 10.11609/jott.4216.11.2.13195-13250.
Schmid-Egger 2004 Schmid-Egger, C., 2004. Bestimmungsschlüssel für die deutschen Arten der solitären Faltenwespen (Hymenoptera: Eumeninae). S. 54-102. ohne Gesamttitel]. Hamburg: Deutscher Jugendbund für Naturbeobachtung (DJN).
Schneider 1991 Schneider, N., 1991. Contribution à la connaissance des Arthropodes rubicoles du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg. Bull. Soc. Natur. Luxembourg, 92, 85-119.
Smit et al. 2019 Smit J., d'Haeseleer J., Peeters T., Spek van der E., 2019. Leuke waarnemingen 2018. HymenoVaria, 18, 10-13.
Soortenregister Nederlands Soortenregister
Waarneming.nl Waarneming.nl
Woydak 2006 Woydak H., 2006: Hymenoptera Aculeata Westfalica Die Faltenwespen von Nordrhein-Westfalen (Hymenoptera, Vespoidea; Vespidae und Eumenidae) (Soziale Papier- und Lehmwespen) – Abhandlungen aus dem Westfälischen Provinzial-Museum für Naturkunde – 68_1: 3 - 133.
Citation
Krischan, O.R., 2025. Symmorphus crassicornis. Kerfdier, www.kerfdier.nl. Accessed on [date month year].
