Identification

Identifying Aculeates
First, a caution: Many aculeates require considerable skill and experience in order to determine the correct species. To overcome these difficulties, BWARS runs frequent workshops to help members learn how to identify the various groups of aculeates. Key works that help with the determination of species are listed here. There are a small number of species that can be determined reasonably easily by beginners, and details of some of these species are given here. Photographers - for identification advice please do not email this web site, but try the BWARS forum where helpful advice from experts is usually available.
	Crossocerus annulipes - drawing Geoff Allen
Glossary: One of the toughest challenges often faced by hymenopterists is understanding the immense variety of terminology used to describe the characteristics of hymenoptera. Fortunately, BWARS member Robin Williams has produced an excellent publication that covers most of the terminology: British Hymenoptera : glossary for use with identification keys. More details here
Key works for the identification of British Aculeates - some texts may be out of print, but can often become available as used books. BEES Unfortunately there is no current work in print that covers all the UK species. BWARS is working on a guide to the genera of British Bees. Alan Stubbs is producing test keys to UK bees and these will be available as downloads from this site as they are produced. A Handbook to Bees of the British Isles is also in progress, but there is no firm date for publication as yet. Meanwhile the following works are helpful for some species of British bees: Else, G.(1999). Identification - Leafcutter Bees. British Wildlife, Vol 10, Number 6. pp 388 - 393. Contains a key to all eight species of British Megachile species. Yu. A. Pesenko, J. Banaszak, V.. Radchenko & T. Cierzniak. (2000). Bees of the Family Halictidae (excluding Sphecodes) of Poland. Bydgoszcz. A useful book that covers all the British species of the genera Halictus & Lasioglossum. Text in English. The keys in this book need to be treated with some caution. Amiet, F.; Herrmann, M.; Mueller, A.; Neumeyer (2001). Apidae 3: Halictus, Lasioglossum. Fauna Helvetica 6. CSCF/SEG Amiet, F.; Herrmann, M.; Mueller, A.; Neumeyer, R (2004) Apidae 4: Anthidium, Chelostoma, Coelioxys, Dioxys, Heriades, Lithurgus, Megachile, Osmia, Stelis. Fauna Helvetica 9. CSCF/SEG For those who can read French or German these two well illustrated volumes are highly recommended. Wilmer, P. (1985). Bees, Ants and Wasps - A Key to the Genera of the British Aculeates. Field Studies Council. An Aidgap tested key. A useful key to genera of British aculeates and the only current published key to British bee genera.	Bumblebee Guides Bumblebees are a well covered group, with several useful guides available. With the wide availability of identification guides, bumblebees are an excellent group for beginners to start with. Edwards, M. & Jenner, M. (2006). Field Guide to the Bumblebees of Great Britain & Ireland. Ocelli Ltd. This is an excellent guide that is easy to use and to carry in the field. It contains a quick colour pattern key to UK species, plus colour photos of all the UK species. Prys-Jones, O. E. and Corbet, S. A. (1987, 1991). Bumblebees. Cambridge University Press. Another small and easy to carry book. Perhaps not as easy to use in the field as Edwards and Jenner's book, but still a very useful guide. There is a useful online identification guide on the Natural History Museum's website at British Bumblebees There is also a useful key to European Bombus at Bombus.it
ANTS Skinner, Gary J and Allen. Geoffrey W. (1996). Ants. Naturalists Handbooks 24. Richmond Publishing Co. Ltd. Contains keys and plates to help identify most species of ant found in Britain. Bolton, B.; Collingwood (1975). Hymenoptera, Formicidae. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects 6.3c, Royal Entomological Society Czechowski, W.; Radchenko, A.; Czechowska, W (2002), The Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Poland. MIZ A useful guide in English, but the keys to male Lasius are missing!
WASPS Perkins, J.F. (1976). Hymenoptera Bethyloidea (excl. Chrysididae) Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects, 6/3a Handbooks for Identification of British Insects. Royal Entomological Society Morgan, D (1984). Cuckoo-Wasps: Hymenoptera, Chrysididae. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects 6/5. Handbooks for Identification of British Insects. Royal Entomological Society. A useful text, particularly when reinforced by Mike Archer's additional notes - download from Resources page Another aid for Morgan's key are photos of the thoraxes of the four UK Hedychridium species on the resources page here Day, M.C. (1988). Spider Wasps - Hymenoptera: Pompilidae. Royal Entomological Society of London Richards O.W, (1980). Scolioidea, Vespoidea and Sphecidae. , Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects, Vol VI, Part 3(b). Royal Entomological Society of London. Some nomenclature has changed since publication, but still an important key for British aculeate wasps. Archer, Michael A (2003). The British Potter and Mason Wasps - A Handbook. BWARS. A detailed handbook, providing keys, distribution maps and profiles of all the British Eumeninae. A copy of the key from this book can be downloaded here Yeo, Peter F. & Corbet, Sarah A (1995). Solitary Wasps. Naturalists Handbooks 3. Richmond Publishing Co. Ltd. An excellent guide, with keys to most British aculeates and colour plates illustrating a representative selection of the British species. Bitsch J. (1993, 1997, 2001 and forthcoming) ) Hymenopteres Sphecidae d'Europe occidentale Volumes 1-4. Faune de France. FFSSN. Text in French, but highly recommended volumes covering sphecid wasps. Olmi, M (1994). The Dryinidae and Embolemidae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea) of Fennoscandia and Denmark. Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica 30. Brill. A useful text for these very difficult families.