A large, attractive mining bee which occurs in two colour forms, more noticeably in females than in males. In females the most frequent form has a largely black gaster, whereas in the other form, tergites 1-2 (occasionally 3) and sternite 2 are conspicuously marked with red (figured by Westrich (1989)). Males usually have black gasters, though in some, tergites 1-3 are posteriorly marked with red. Andrena hattorfiana, in common with A. marginata Fabricius, is strongly associated with scabious… Read more

A scarce southern species that resembles a red and black ichneumon wasp. Packer (1987) lists records and observations to the early 1980s (as Alysson lunicornis).

A distinctive wasp with its yellow-banded, waisted abdomen combined with distinctive dark smudges on the forewing. Previously known as Gorytes bicinctus.

Previously classified in the genera Alysson and Dienoplus. A small red and black wasp, typically with a white scutellum and three white spots on the abdomen rendering it distinctive. Usually encountered in dry sandy locations where it is a frog-hopper predator.

The scarcer and smaller of our two Argogorytes wasps, but seemingly with a similar biology to A. mystaceus. Often cited as Gorytes campestris (Linnaeus, 1761) in older literature.

Much information on the behaviour of Nysson and related genera is given by Evans (1966), although the nomenclature is now out of date.

The rarest of our four Crossocerus species with yellow-marked gasters, and regarded as possibly extinct until its recent re-discovery in Hampshire and discovery in Wales.

Being one of the larger and the most easily identified pompilids, the biology and distribution of Anoplius viaticus is comparatively well known.

Identification keys and general biology are given in Olberg (1959), Spradbery (1973), Richards (1980), Falk (1991), Yeo & Corbet (1995) and Archer (2000). This species is known as the Heath Potter Wasp.