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.
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.
The only representative of its genus in Britain, this species has always been regarded as a rarity, from its discovery in Britain in 1868 to the present day (Archer 2000). It is targeted for action under English Nature's Species Recovery Programme (Edwards & Roberts 1995; Roberts 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999; Roberts & Else 1997).
Previously known as Ancistrocerus callosus (Thomson, 1870). Identification keys and general biology are given in Nielsen (1932), Spradbery (1973), Richards (1980), Yeo & Corbet (1995) and Archer (2000).
Identification keys and general biology of the Red Wasp are given in Spradbery (1973), Archer (1979, 1996, 1997a, 19976b), Edwards (1980), Akre et al. (1981) and Else (1994).
A scarce yellow-marked Crossocerus, closely resembling the relatively frequent C. dimidiatus, but typically with entirely yellow tibiae. This species has been variously assigned to the genera Crabro and Cuphopterus in older literature.