CONTENTS
1. Distribution
2. Behaviour
3. Plant relations
4. Prey relations
5. Parasitic relations
6. Identification
1. DISTRIBUTION
The Ornate tailed diggerwasp (Cerceris rybyensis) [1] is a common species throughout the Netherlands [2], with an exception of the Wadden islands [3].
2. BEHAVIOUR
2.1. ACTIVITY
The species is active from half May until half October [2,3].
2.2. DEVELOPMENT
The female digs a nest in the ground, sand and loam or loess [4], that consist of a burrow 10 to 15 cm in length perpendicular to the ground [4]. The cells are dug from the main burrow and willed with prey of one bee species as food for the larvae [3].
2.3. Bee hotel
The males are known to use artificial nest help like bee hotels as a sleeping place [6].
3. PLANT RELATIONS
The adult wasps feed with nectar and/or pollen. Relations with the following plant species and groups are cited in literature:
| Asteraceae | – Dandelion (Taraxacum) [7], incidental visit |
In the garden I’ve observed the species foraging on the following plants:
| Asteraceae | – Giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea) |
4. PREY RELATIONS
This species uses bees as foor for her offspring [3]. The size of the prey is proportional to the size of the female, which give larger females a broader choice in prey [8].
The following species present in the Netherlands are cited in literature:
| Bees (Apoidae) | – Blood bees (Sphecodes) [5] – Halictus [3,4] – Panurgus, sometimes [3,4] – Mining bees (Andrena) [3,4] |
5. PARASITIC RELATIONS
The following C. rybyensis nest parasites present in the Netherlands are cited in literature:
| DIPTERA, Sarcophagidae | Metopia [3] – Metopia argyrocephala [10] Miltogramma [3] Pterella [3] – Pterella grisea [5] |
| HYMENOPTERA, Chrysididae | Chrysis – Chrysis ignita [5] Hedychrum – Hedychrum gerstaeckeri [5,9] – Hedychrum niemelai [5,9] – Hedychrum nobile [5,9] |
The following nest parasites have been observed in the garden:
| HYMENOPTERA, Chrysididae | – Chrysis ignita |
6. IDENTIFICATION
Length males: 7 – 10 mm
Length females: 8 – 14 mm
Genus
Specimen of the genus Cerceris are recognisable by the following characters:
1. Three submarginal cells [4,8]
2. Second submarginal cell petiolate, does not reach radial cell [4,8]
3. Tip radial cell rounded [4,8]
4. First abdominal segment looking from above strongly narrowed compared with the second segment [4], the other segments separated from each other by constrictions [8]
♀
1. Antenna with twelve segments [4,8]
2. Abdomen with six segments [4,8]
♂
- Antenna with 13 segments [4,8]
2. Abdomen with 7 segments [4,8]
3. Tergite 2 with yellow base [4,8]
4. Tergite 4 in most specimen black [4]. If present, the yellow markings on tergite 4 less extensive than on tergite 5 [4,8].
5. Sternite 2 with elevated area at it’s base [4,8]
For comparison: sternite 2 of C. arenaria without elevated area at it’s base.
6. Clypeus narrow and protruding, lower edge straight [8]
7. Keel between antenna base stops far in front of ocelli [8]
8. Width of the adhered hairs on the apical edge of the clypeal sidelobes is somewhat narrower than the space between them [8]
9. Space between ocelle and inner edge eye is wider than the space between the hind ocelli [8]
10. Antennae mostly dark coloured [4,8]
11. Length basal lobe (L) hindwing at most 1/4 length analcell (A) [8]
12. Middle and front tibia completely yellow [8]
13. Dorsalfield propodeum smooth [8]
References
1 Nederlands Soortenregister2 Waarneming.nl
3 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.
4 KLEIN, Wim. De graafwespen van de Benelux. Jeugdbondsuitgeverij, Utrecht, 1996, 1-130. + KLEIN, Wim. De graafwespen van de Benelux: supplement. Jeugdbondsuitgeverij, 1999.
5 Ruchin, Alexander & Antropov, Alexander. (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.
6 Breugel, P. van 2014. Gasten van bijenhotels. – EIS Kenniscentrum Insecten en andere ongewervelden & Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden.
7 HONĚK, ALOIS, et al. Arthropod fauna recorded in flowers of apomictic Taraxacum section Ruderalia. European Journal of Entomology, 2016, 113.
8 Hermann Dollfuss, "Bestimmungsschlüssel der Grabwespen Nord- und Zentraleuropas (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae) mit speziellen Angaben zur Grabwespenfauna Österreichs", Publikation der Botanischen Arbeitsgemeinschaft am O.Ö.Landesmuseum Linz, LINZ, 20. Dezember 1991
9 PAUKKUNEN, Juho, et al. An illustrated key to the cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae) of the Nordic and Baltic countries, with description of a new species. ZooKeys, 2015, 548: 1.
10 POVOLNY, D. The flesh-flies of Central Europe (Insecta, Diptera, Sarcophagidae). Spixiana supplement, 1997, 24: 1-260.
