1. DISTRIBUTION
The species is very common throughout the whole of the Netherlands [1].
2. BEHAVIOUR
2.1. ACTIVITY
The species is active from May until October [1].
Every year the males can be found around the bee hotel in my garden.
The Dutch name of this species ‘Sift wasp’ refers to the enlarged front legs of the males. These contain transparent grooves that pass light which possibly plays a role during mating. The male will cover the females eyes with them [1].
Males can be found in bee hotels where they will spend the night, females do not visit bee hotels and nest in the ground [2]. with a preference for sandy soil [1].
3. PREY RELATIONS
C. peltarius catches flies from the following families [1] :
| Flies (DIPTERA) | – Calliphoridae – Dolichopodidae – Muscidae – Stratiomyidae – Therevidae |
4. IDENTIFICATION
There are three Crabro species in the Netherlands. The enlarged front legs of the males are a key to distinguish them.
The males measure 9 – 13 mm and the females 10 – 13 mm.
Genus
1. Front wing with one submarginal cel [3,4]
2. Inner edge eyes converging down [3]
3. Ocelli form an obtuse triangle [3]
4. Abdomen marked with yellow in most species [3,4]
♀
- Distance between rear ocelli is almost equal to the distance to eyes
- Mesonotum (top thorax) more or less glossy between punctuation
- Shins yellow with dark spots
- Projecting hairs behind ocelli not longer than diameter rear ocelli
- Clypeus straight without teeth
- Tergite V almost always with yellow markings
- Vertex (upper side head) densely punctuated
- Antenna segment III clearly longer than segment IV
- Tergite I with yellow spots
♂
1. Mesonotum punctated, without longitudinal grooves [3]
2. Antennal segments flat [3] and strongly widened, middle segments almost 2x wider than long [3,4]
3. Underside antennal segments with long hairs [3]
3. Schield front leg is recognizable by the stripes (upper half) and dots (lower half) [2,3,4] and is shaped asymmetrically [3].
4. Tarsal segments front leg strongly enlarged [3]
5. First abdominal tergite and antennal shaft usually with yellow [4]
6. Frons strongly punctated with unclear longitudinal grooves [3]
7. Mesopleuron (side thorax) sparse and widely punctated [3]
8. Shin front leg with long thorn [3]
9. Hairs on first antennal segment not longer than diameter ocelli [3]
10. Front coxae with thorn [3]
Literature
1 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.2 Breugel, P. van 2014. Gasten van bijenhotels. – EIS Kenniscentrum Insecten en andere ongewervelden & Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden.
3 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
4 KLEIN, Wim. De graafwespen van de Benelux. Jeugdbondsuitgeverij, Utrecht, 1996, 1-130. + KLEIN, Wim. De graafwespen van de Benelux: supplement. Jeugdbondsuitgeverij, 1999.
