A small mining bee with a largely red gaster in both sexes, very reminiscent of certain bees of the genus Sphecodes (Halictidae). The male has a yellow clypeus and lower paraocular areas.
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One of the socially parasitic bumblebees formerly placed in the genus Psithyrus, which is now regarded as a sub-genus of Bombus. It is known to parasitise the nests of Bombus terrestris. The general distribution is more southerly than that of its look-alike, Bombus bohemicus, which matches the situation in the known hosts of these two species (B. lucorum is the host of B. bohemicus… Read more
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Formica fusca is a dark-bodied species, 4-7 mm long, common and widely distributed on uncultivated land. This species is very similar to Formica lemani. Taxonomic and behavioural differences are given in the F. lemani profile.
Editor's note. The original profile combined the two species F. fusca and F. lemani but this has been split by the editor to follow the Atlas style.
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This is one of eleven British ant species in the genus Formica but it is the only one of the sub-genus Raptiformica. This is a predominantly Nearctic group and F. sanguinea is the only species with a Palaearctic distribution. Superficially similar to Wood ants of the Formica rufa-group, F. sanguinea is distinguished by being the only British Formica showing dulotic behaviour. It is commonly known as the blood-red slave-making or robber ant. This reflects its habit of raiding nests of other ants, particularly those in the Formica… Read more
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Workers of this dark coloured, slow moving species are seldom seen in the open. When disturbed, the female castes curl into balls and appear dead. Blacker & Collingwood (2002) provide a useful commentary on this ant based on their Wiltshire records.
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There are approximately 100 species in this genus worldwide. Lomholdt (1984) states that there are only seven species in Europe, but Bitsch et al. (2001) list ten, although one of these, P. hidalgo, was only described in 1990. Three species have been recorded in Britain. Psenulus schencki is the least often recorded.
Submitted by Anonymous on
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There are approximately 100 species in this genus worldwide. Lomholdt (1984) states that there are only seven species in Europe, but Bitsch et al. (2001) list ten, although one of these, P. hidalgo, was only described in 1990.Three species have been recorded in Britain.
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A revised key to the now three British species of Miscophus has been published by Knowles and Else (2005). Dark specimens of male M. concolor are not always readily separated from male M. ater on gaster colour alone, but the closeness of the punctation on the frons seems to be a reliable, if subtle, character for which comparative material is useful.
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A small black solitary wasp nesting in cavities in dead timber. Identification keys are given in Yeo & Corbet (1995), Lomholdt (1984) and Richards (1980). In older literature this species was referred to as Crabro carbonarius (Dahlbom), with the name C. leucostomus or C. leucostomoides being applied to the much more common Crossocerus megacephalus, so care is needed when citing older records of this wasp.