CONTENTS

1. Distribution
2. Behaviour
3. Plant relations
4. Prey relations
5. Parasitic relations
6. Identification

1. DISTRIBUTION

The Sand tailed diggerwasp (Cerceris arenaria) ^{[Soortenregister]} is a common species in almost the whole of the Netherlands ^{[Waarneming.nl]}.

2. BEHAVIOUR

2.1. ACTIVITY

The species is active from May to September ^{[Waarneming.nl],[Peeters et al. 2004]}.

2.2. DEVELOPMENT

The female digs a nest in the ground, in sand or dense clay ^{[Ruchin & Antropov 2019]}, with a length of 10 to 40 cm, the first stretch of which is vertically oriented and than bends off horizontally. Cell construction starts at the end of the burrow in the horizontal part and expands into the direction of the entrance ^{[Bohart & Menke 1976]}. Each subsequent cell is dug from the main corridor and will be located closer to the entrance. In the horizontal part she will make four to ten cells ^{[Polidori et al. 2006]} that will be filled with five to ten prey animals as food for the larvae ^{[Peeters et al. 2004]}.

The species reuses existing nests for years in a row, like other Cerceris species ^{[Polidori et al. 2006]}. This is a phenomena called philopatry. The practice will result in a colony, which can contain hundreds of nests per square meter ^{[Peeters et al. 2004]}.
Still the species is regarded as solitary based on the facts of the width of the used prey spectrum (solitary < social), the number of cells per nest (solitary < social) and the prey size which results in higher number of prey per cell when the prey size is small (solitary < social) ^{[Polidori 2011]}.

Established colonies are rather static and do not expand in size because no new nests are dug ^{[Polidori et al. 2006]}. Existing nests may be expanded from the inside by digging a new tunnel and cells ^{[Polidori et al. 2006],[Bohart & Menke 1976]}.
A new female emerging from a nest will first make an orientation flight across the colony to choose a nest to use for herself. This nest can either be the nest she emerged from or, in case it is already occupied, another one ^{[Polidori et al. 2006]}. Confrontations between the resident and searching wasps are for a large part determined by their respective sizes (larger > smaller) and status (resident > searcher) ^{[Polidori 2006]}. Only few wasps wil leave the colony to nest elsewhere ^{[Polidori et al. 2006]}.

2.3. Beehotel

Cerceris arenaria males want to use bee hotels as a place to sleep ^{[Breugel 2014]}.

3. PLANT RELATIONS

The adult wasps feed with nectar and/or pollen. The following plants groups are cited in literature as food plant ^{[Polidori et al. 2007]}:

Apicaceae (Umbellifers)	– Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) [Skaldin 2020],[own observation]
Asteraceae (Composite family)	– Giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea) [own observation]
Fabaceae (Pea family)	– White melilot (Melilotus albus) [own observation]
Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn family)	– Sporkehout (Frangula alnus) [Peeters et al. 2004]

4. PREY RELATIONS

The species hunts adult ^{[Polidori 2011]} beetles from the family of Snout beetles (Curculionidae) ^{[Peeters et al. 2004]} for feeding its larvae. The size of the prey is proportional to the size of the female, which give larger females a broader choice in prey ^{[Polidori et al. 2005]}. The following species present in the Netherlands are cited in literature:

Curculionidae (Weevils)

Brachyderes [Ruchin & Antropov 2019] Bromius [Ruchin & Antropov 2019] Comobaris – Cosmobaris scolopacea [Polidori et al. 2007] Donus – Donus intermedius [Polidori et al. 2007] Curculio [Ruchin & Antropov 2019] Hylobius [Ruchin & Antropov 2019] Hypera [Polidori et al. 2007] – Hypera postica [Polidori et al. 2007] – Hypera rumicis [Polidori et al. 2007] – Hypera nigrirostris [Polidori et al. 2007] Larinus – Larinus turbinatus [Polidori et al. 2007] Lepyrus – Lepyrus capucinus [Polidori et al. 2007] Otiorhynchus [Ruchin & Antropov 2019] – Otiorhyncus armadillo [Polidori et al. 2007] – Otiorhyncus rugosostriatus [Polidori et al. 2007] – Otiorhyncus ovatus [Polidori et al. 2007] – Otiorhyncus sulcatus [Polidori et al. 2007],[own observation] Pissodes [Ruchin & Antropov 2019] Polydrusus [Polidori et al. 2007] – Polydrusus formosus [Bohne 2014] Sitona [Ruchin & Antropov 2019] – Sitona hispidulus [Polidori et al. 2007] Strophosoma [Ruchin & Antropov 2019] Tanymecus [Ruchin & Antropov 2019]

Prey species outside the Netherlands:

–

–

5. PARASITIC RELATIONS

The following species and groups occurring in the Netherlands ^{[Soortenregister]} are mentioned in literature:

Diptera (Flies)	Anthomyiidae Leucophora [Peeters et al. 2004] – Leucophora cinerea [Ruchin & Antropov 2019] Sarcophagidae Metopia [Peeters et al. 2004] – Metopia argyrocephala [Povolny 1997] Miltogramma [Peeters et al. 2004] – Miltogramma punctatum [Ruchin & Antropov 2019] Pterella [Peeters et al. 2004]
Hymenoptera (Wasps)	Chrysididae (Cuckoo wasps) Chrysis – Chrysis ignita [Ruchin & Antropov 2019] Hedychrum – Hedychrum niemelai [Ruchin & Antropov 2019] – Hedychrum nobile [Peeters et al. 2004] – Hedychrum rutilans [Peeters et al. 2004] Mutillidae Smicromyrme – Smicromyrme rufipes [Ruchin & Antropov 2019]
Formicidae (Ants)	Myrmicinae Tetramorium – Tetramorium caespitum [Ruchin & Antropov 2019]

Parasitic species outside the Netherlands:

–

–

6. IDENTIFICATION

Length males: 9 – 15 mm
Length females: 10 – 16 mm

Genus

The genus Cerceris can be identified using the following characters:

1.  Forewing: with three submarginal cells ^{[Klein 1999],[Dollfuss 1991]}

2. Forewing: second submarginal cell petiolate, does not reach radial cell ^{[Klein 1999],[Dollfuss 1991]}

3. Forewing: tip radial cell rounded ^{[Klein 1999],[Dollfuss 1991]}

4. Abdomen: first abdominal segment looking from above strongly narrowed compared with the second segment ^{[Klein 1999]}, the other segments separated from each other by constrictions ^{[Dollfuss 1991]}

---

---

---

1. Antenna: with twelve segments ^{[Klein 1999],[Dollfuss 1991]}

2. Abdomen: with six segments ^{[Klein 1999],[Dollfuss 1991]}

3. Sternum 2: without basal elevated part ^{[Klein 1999],[Dollfuss 1991]}

As comparison to sternum 2 in C. rybyensis that has an elavated part at its base.

4. Tergum 2: apical edge yellow ^{[Klein 1999],[Dollfuss 1991]}

5. Thorax, including tegula, with yellow markings ^{[Klein 1999],[Dollfuss 1991]}

6. Abdomen: punctation coarse, spaces between punctations smaller than punctations ^{[Klein 1999]}

7. Propodeum: dorsal field with angled grooves ^{[Dollfuss 1991]}

8. Hind wing: length basal lobe (L) hindwing at most 1/3 length anal cell (A), at most 2x longer than wide ^{[Dollfuss 1991]}

9. Pygidium: large and rectangular in shape

10. Clypeus: center lobe wider than long, with thin black lamella, lower edge clypeus either lightly indented or straight

---

---

---

1. Antenna: with 13 segments ^{[Klein 1999],[Dollfuss 1991]}

2. Abdomen: with 7 segments ^{[Klein 1999],[Dollfuss 1991]}

3. Tergum 2: apical edge with yellow band ^{[Klein 1999],[Dollfuss 1991]}

4. Terga 2 and 3: yellow bands on in almost all specimen equal in width ^{[Dollfuss 1991]}

5. Terga: punctation coarse and dense, space between punctation not or barely larger than punctation ^{[Dollfuss 1991]}

6. Tergum 4: distance between punctation smaller than punctation ^{[Klein 1999]}

5. Sternum 2: without elevated area at it’s base ^{[Klein 1999],[Dollfuss 1991]}

6. Sternum 7: with long hair that point to the center line of the body

7. Clypeus: apical edge black ^{[Klein 1999],[Dollfuss 1991]}

8. Clypeus: base more arched than the lower part seen from the side, clypeal tooth clearly protruding (T) ^{[Klein 1999]}

9. Thorax often with yellow marking on tegula, scutellum and shoulders ^{[Klein 1999],[Dollfuss 1991]}

10. Middle leg: ventral side femur short haired ^{[Dollfuss 1991]}

11. Hind leg: femur almost bold ^{[Klein 1999]}

12. Antenna: last segment clearly bent, with some long hairs at the underside

13.Hind wing: length basal lobe at most 1/3 length anal cell, at most 2x longer than wide ^{[Dollfuss 1991]}

---

Literature

^{Bohart & Menke 1976} Bohart, R.M. & Menke A.S., 1976. Sphecid wasps of the world: a generic revision. - University of California Press, 695 p.

^{Bohne 2014} Bohne, G., 2014, iNaturalist: observation predator relation Cerceris arenaria ➧ Polydrusus formosus

^{Breugel 2014} Breugel, P. van., 2014. Gasten van bijenhotels. – EIS Kenniscentrum Insecten en andere ongewervelden & Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden.

^{Dollfuss 1991} Dollfuss, H., 1991. Bestimmungsschlüssel der Grabwespen Nord-und Zentraleuropas. Stapfia, 24, 1-247.

^{Klein 1999} Klein, W., 1999 De graafwespen van de Benelux: supplement. Jeugdbondsuitgeverij, 1-37. + Klein, W., 1996. De graafwespen van de Benelux. Jeugdbondsuitgeverij, 1-130.

^{Paukkunen et al. 2015} Paukkunen, J., Berg, A., Soon, V., Ødegaard, F., & Rosa, P., 2015. An illustrated key to the cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae) of the Nordic and Baltic countries, with description of a new species. ZooKeys, (548), 1.

^{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.

^{Polidori 2006} Polidori, C., 2006. Nest Abandonment in the Solitary Wasp Cerceris arenaria (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae): Escape, Leave Open or Destroy. Sociobiology, 47(2).

^{Polidori 2011} Polidori, C., 2011. The role of increased prey spectrum and reduced prey size in the evolution of sociality in Cerceris wasps. Predation in the hymenoptera: an evolutionary perspective, 199-216.

^{Polidori et al. 2005} Polidori, C., Boesi, R., Isola, F., & Andrietti, F., 2005. Provisioning patterns and choice of prey in the digger wasp Cerceris arenaria (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae): the role of prey size. European Journal of Entomology, 102(4), 801.

^{Polidori et al. 2006} Polidori, C., Casiraghi, M., Lorenzo, M. D., Valarani, B., & Andrietti, F., 2006. Philopatry, nest choice, and aggregation temporal–spatial change in the digger wasp Cerceris arenaria (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae). Journal of ethology, 24, 155-163.

^{Polidori et al. 2007} Polidori, C., Boesi, R., Pesarini, C., Papadia, C., Bevacqua, S., Federici, M., & Andrietti, F., 2007. Temporal Relationship between the Prey Spectrum and Population Structure of the Weevil-Hunting Wasp Cerceris arenaria(Hymenoptera: Crabronidae). Zoological Studies, 46(1), 83-91.

^{Povolny 1997} Povolny, D., 1997. The flesh-flies of Central Europe (Insecta, Diptera, Sarcophagidae). Spixiana Suppl., 24, 1-260.

^{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.

^{Skaldin 2020} Skaldina, O., 2020. Insects associated with sweet fennel: beneficial visitors attracted by a generalist plant. Arthropod-plant interactions, 14(3), 399-407.

^{Soortenregister} Nederlands Soortenregister

^{Waarneming.nl} Waarneming.nl

Citation

Krischan, O.R., 2025. Cerceris arenaria. Kerfdier, www.kerfdier.nl. Accessed on 23 March 2025.