Official name:
Synonyms:
1. DISTRIBUTION
The species is very common throughout the whole of the Netherlands [Peeters et al. 2004].
2. BEHAVIOUR
2.1. ACTIVITY
The species is active from May until October [Peeters et al. 2004].
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 [Peeters et al. 2004].
Males can be found in bee hotels where they will spend the night, females do not visit bee hotels and nest in the ground [Breugel 2014]. with a preference for sandy soil [Peeters et al. 2004].
3. PREY RELATIONS
C. peltarius catches flies from the following families [Peeters et al. 2004] :
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 [Dollfuss 1991],4]
2. Inner edge eyes converging down [Dollfuss 1991]
3. Ocelli form an obtuse triangle [Dollfuss 1991]
4. Abdomen marked with yellow in most species [Dollfuss 1991],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 [Dollfuss 1991]
2. Antennal segments flat [3] and strongly widened, middle segments almost 2x wider than long [Dollfuss 1991],4]
3. Underside antennal segments with long hairs [Dollfuss 1991]
3. Schield front leg is recognizable by the stripes (upper half) and dots (lower half) [Dollfuss 1991],[4] and is shaped asymmetrically [Dollfuss 1991].
4. Tarsal segments front leg strongly enlarged [Dollfuss 1991]
5. First abdominal tergite and antennal shaft usually with yellow [4]
6. Frons strongly punctated with unclear longitudinal grooves [Dollfuss 1991]
7. Mesopleuron (side thorax) sparse and widely punctated [Dollfuss 1991]
8. Shin front leg with long thorn [Dollfuss 1991]
9. Hairs on first antennal segment not longer than diameter ocelli [Dollfuss 1991]
10. Front coxae with thorn [Dollfuss 1991]
Literature
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.
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.
Citation
Krischan, O.R., 2025. Crabro peltarius. Kerfdier, www.kerfdier.nl. Accessed on [date month year].