1. DISTRIBUTION
C. ignita is a common wasp that can be found throughout the Netherlands [2, 5]. It is a permanent resident in the garden in large numbers.
2. BEHAVIOUR
2.1. ACTIVITY
The species is active from April to the end of October [4]. It is a common species in the whole of the Netherlands.
IEvery year they are present in the garden in larger numbers, especially on the bee hotels but can be found on sunny spots on walls. There they roam around and inspect every hole, moving fast and a bit nervously which makes them difficult to photograph.
2.2. DEVELOPMENT
Like all cuckoo wasps this species is also a parasite, and she finds her hosts in the bee hotel.
The larvae are cleptoparasites which means they feed of the provisions of the host larva.
3. PARASITIC RELATIONS
C. ignita is a cleptoparasite on the following species in the garden:
| Bees (APOIDAE) | Megachillidae Osmia – Red mason bee (Osmia bicornis) [1,3] – European orchard bee (Osmia cornuta) [1] |
| Wasps (HYMENOPTERA) | Eumeninae (Leemwespen) Ancistrocerus – Ancistrocerus antilope [9] – Ancistrocerus gazella [2,6] – Ancistrocerus nigricornis [6] – Ancistrocerus parietinus [9] – Ancistrocerus parietum [9] Symmorphus – Symmorphus bifasciatus [2,9] – Symmorphus crassicornis [2] – Symmorphus murarius [9] Crabronidae Cerceris – Cerceris arenaria [8] Trypoxylon – Trypoxylon figulus [3] |
4. IDENTIFICATION
It is a small wasp measuring 5 – 10 mm [4].
Be aware that there are a lot of similar looking cuckoo wasps [4].
The characteristics of the species are [4]:
1. Head and mesosoma metallic blue of violet with green reflections on pronotum and mesoscutellum
2. Tergites gold-red metallic
3. Sternites green or blue metallic (not visible in photos)
4. Black spots on sternite II rectangular (not visible in photos)
5. M-shaped keel on front head
6. Hairs on top of head (vertex) white, sometimes brown for males
7. Tergites II and III coarse and regelar punctuations
8. Teeth on tergite III sharple articulated
References
1 KRUNIC, M & Stanisavljević, Ljubiša & PINZAUTI, M. (2005). The accompanying fauna of Osmia cornuta and Osmia rufa and effective measures of protection. Bull. Insectol. 58. 141-152., pag: 1452 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., pag: 178
3 PAERN, Madli, et al. Host specificity of the tribe Chrysidini (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) in Estonia ascertained with trap-nesting. EJE, 2015, 112.1: 91-99.
4 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.
5 Waarneming.nl
6 Martynova, Kate & Fateryga, Alexander. (2015). Chrysidid wasps (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae)—Parasites of eumenine wasps (Hymenoptera, Vespidae: Eumeninae) in Crimea. Entomological Review. 95. 472-485. 10.1134/S0013873815040090.
7 BOHART, Richard M.; BOHART, Richard Mitchell; MENKE, Arnold S. Sphecid wasps of the world: a generic revision. Univ of California Press, 1976.
8 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.
9 PAERN, Madli, et al. Host specificity of the tribe Chrysidini (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) in Estonia ascertained with trap-nesting. EJE, 2015, 112.1: 91-99.
