This forum is a place to discuss matters related to BWARS and general matters related to aculeates.
It is not intended as a forum for identification queries. We may add this feature in due course, but meanwhile, if you need help identifying bees, wasps and ants, please use either iSpot or the BWARS forum on Yahoo.
Download the workshop presentation given by Juho Paukkunen at the BWARS Members' Weekend 2019. The presentation outlines key characters for separating the 13 British species of the cryptic Chrysis ignita group. Juho cautioned that colour characters given in the Nordic and Baltic Chrysididae key (Paukkunen et al., 2015) are not reliable for British specimens:
Juho Paukkunen, Alexander Berg, Villu Soon, Frode Ødegaard and Paolo Rosa. 2015 An illustrated key to the cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae) of the Nordic and Baltic countries, with description of a new species.
Workshop presentation given by Juho Paukkunen at the BWARS Members' Weekend 2019. The presentation outlines key characters for separating the 13 British species of the cryptic Chrysis ignita group. Juho cautioned that colour characters given in the Nordic and Baltic Chrysididae key (Paukkunen et al., 2015) are not reliable for British specimens:
Juho Paukkunen, Alexander Berg, Villu Soon, Frode Ødegaard and Paolo Rosa. 2015 An illustrated key to the cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae) of the Nordic and Baltic countries, with description of a new species.
I have some impressive footage of a Gasteruption jaculator ovipositing inside a common yellow face bee cell inside my observation nest box and the filming of the larvae eating bee larvae/forage and cannibalism with its Gj neighbour! Has anyone any proof positive, papers, similar that this species actually uses O. bicornis as a host? I cannot find any other than one found that is German in German. The film will be on my web site www.nurturing-nature.co.uk as I await more developments.
Hylaeus signatus male emerging from roost
Pseudomalus auratus
