Euodynerus quadrifasciatus

Authority:

(Fabricius,1793)

Synonyms:

Pseudepipona tomentosus THOMSON 1870

Previously known as Pseudepipona tomentosus (Thomson, 1870). Identification keys and general biology are given in Spradbery (1973), Richards (1980), Yeo & Corbet (1995) and Archer (2000).

Distribution:

Devon, Dorset, Berkshire and Surrey, with a nineteenth century record from West Gloucestershire. See Richards (1958), Falk (1991) and Else (1992) for further information.

Overseas found in many parts of Europe (including Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Greece, Bulgaria and Russia (Karelia)); north Africa (Morocco); and Asia (Armenia, Russia (east to far-eastern Maritime Kray), Mongolia and Japan).

Status (in Britain only):

Shirt (1987) lists this species as Rare (RDB3); Falk (1991) lists it as Vulnerable (RDB2). The shortage of recent records suggests its status should be reviewed.

Habitat:

Limestone quarries, pebble beaches and slopes of coastal cliffs. Seen flying over heather and bramble.

Flight period:

Univoltine; from May until August but most often seen during June and July.

Prey collected:

Probably larvae of microlepidoptera (Tortricidae) and beetles (Chrysomelidae).

Nesting biology:

A tube-dweller, recorded nesting in holes in beach pebbles and holes in large stones. Probably also nests in burrows in dead wood. Witt (1998) illustrates a female engaged in nest building, but no further information has been found.

Taxonomic hierarchy:

Euodynerus quadrifasciatus

Flowers visited:

Dewberry and wall cotoneaster.

Parasites:

No British records; overseas, Kunz (1994) gives the wasp Chrysis longula Abeille de Perrin.

Author of profile:

M E Archer.

Year profile last updated:

2001

Myrmica sulcinodis

Authority:

Nylander, 1846

Of the twelve British species of Myrmica, this is one of the less widely distributed and least well known in terms of its biology and ecology. Morphologically, M. sulcinodis is typical of the genus in possessing a two-segmented 'waist', pectinate spurs on all tibiae, well developed propodeal spines and a sting in the females. The shape of the antennal scape provides a good character for separation from other British Myrmica. Females of M.

Distribution:

This ant is largely restricted to well-drained upland heather moors in south west and northern England and in Scotland. It also occurs locally on some lowland heaths in southern England. There are a few records from Wales but none from Ireland. Overseas, occurs from arctic Scandinavia south to Portugal and east to eastern Siberia.

Status (in Britain only):

This species is not regarded as being scarce or threatened.

Habitat:

Throughout its Palaearctic range, M. sulcinodis is considered a typical species of mountainous habitat. In Britain, it can be common in some areas of heather moorland. However, only certain types of moorland appear suitable and nest sites tend to be in exposed, dark, well drained peat soils supporting close growing vegetation. The species does not survive in tall rank heather unless there are sufficient bare patches. In sandy lowland heath, the species occurs mainly in the damper areas of short heather or bog vegetation.

Flight period:

The mating flights of M. sulcinodis usually occur in August or early September.

Foraging behaviour:

Little is known about the foraging patterns, behaviour or main food source of this ant. The habitats in which it nests rarely support large aphid populations and it has only occasionally been reported to take aphid honeydew. The workers are usually found foraging alone, presumably searching mainly for small invertebrates or scavenging dead animal material.

Taxonomic hierarchy:

Myrmica sulcinodis

Nesting biology:

Myrmica sulcinodis usually nests under stones or in clumps of peat exposed to the sun; occasionally small mounds of vegetation may be raised for brood incubation. Colonies are relatively small, often consisting of only a few hundred workers and a single queen.

Parasites:

No parasitic ant species is known to be associated with M. sulcinodis.

Author of profile:

S P Hoy.

Year profile last updated:

2001

Tetramorium caespitum

Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1758)

This is the only species of this widespread genus to be found naturally in Britain; some other tramp species may occur sporadically. The workers are small (2.5-4 mm) and dark brown or black with a robust morphology typical of myrmecine ants. All castes have a two-segmented 'waist' and pectinate spurs on all tibiae, along with propodeal spines and a sting in the females. Despite its size, T. caespitum is an aggressive ant and uses its sting freely; it is often the dominant ant species where abundant.

Distribution:

Distribution map

This species occurs predominantly along the south coast of England and up the west coast as far as North Wales, the Isle of Man, Ailsa Craig, Canna and West Sutherland. On the east coast there are records as far as north Norfolk, with a notable gap until the Berwickshire coast. The species is also recorded from coastal sites along southern and south-eastern Ireland. Inland, T. caespitum is found on some lowland heaths and south-facing hillsides in southern and eastern England.

Status (in Britain only):

This species is not regarded as being scarce or threatened.

Habitat:

The ant is a highly thermophilous species in Britain and it is mainly found in exposed, rocky coastal areas with short, sparse maritime vegetation. It is also found on some lowland heaths with short or patchy vegetation and a few south-facing rocky or sparsely vegetated slopes inland. It may be locally abundant at particularly suitable sites and it is often found with similarly thermophilous species such as Lasius alienus.

Flight period:

In Britain the mating flights of this species occur from late June to early August.

Foraging behaviour:

Workers forage by predation on other arthropods and by scavenging; they also feed on honeydew from root aphids. Seeds of herbs and grasses are also taken into their nest. The workers forage individually but can rapidly recruit other workers and form a trail to large food sources.

Taxonomic hierarchy:

Tetramorium caespitum

Nesting biology:

Nests are formed in sandy or peaty ground, under stones and in rock crevices. The surrounding vegetation is often sparse or close growing, allowing a high degree of insolation at the exposed nest surface. There is rarely an obvious surface structure, although some vegetation fragments may be loosely heaped up around plant stems near nest entrances. Colonies can be extremely populous and nests may be large ramifying structures with tunnels leading great distances; it is notoriously difficult to find the centre of a T. caespitum nest or the nest queen. At coastal sites, nests are usually found on crumbling, rocky cliff tops as far down as the high water line.

Parasites and commensals :

In Britain the rare socially parasitic ant species Strongylognathus testaceus and Tetramorium atratulum are found exclusively with T. caespitum.

Author of profile:

S P Hoy

Year profile last updated:

2016

Sapyga quinquepunctata

Authority:

(Fabricius,1781)

Identification keys and general biology are given in Richards (1980), Gauld and Bolton (1988) and Yeo & Corbet (1995).

Distribution:

Cornwall to Kent, and north to Westmorland and North-east Yorkshire.

Overseas found in much of Europe (including Norway, Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Greece, Malta, Cyprus; the Middle East (Syria, Jordan, Israel, Turkey) and north Africa (Tunisia, Morocco).

Status (in Britain only):

This species is not regarded as being scarce or threatened.

Habitat:

Found in a wide variety of open habitats: woodland and shrubland, lowland heaths, chalk quarries, coastal cliffs, gardens and cemeteries. Often found flying around the nest sites of its hosts: mud, walls, holes in mortar, dead wood, old wooden posts, and snail shells.

Flight period:

Univoltine. Males are found during May and June, and rarely in July. Females occur mainly during June, often during May and July, or more rarely in April and August. In Cumbria, females may occasionally be found flying in mid-August (V. Russell 2016, pers. comm)

Taxonomic hierarchy:

Sapyga quinquepunctata

Flowers visited:

Thyme (Thymus sp, - Lamiaceae) is the only plant recorded in the BWARS Atlas, but it has since been seen foraging for nectar at flowers of Forget-me-not (Myosotis sp. - Boraginageae (J. Early 2016 pers. comm) and Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica - Asteraceae) in northern Cumbria (V. Russell 2016 pers.comm.).

Parasitic biology:

Cleptoparasitic on bees of the genus Osmia (O. bicornis (Linnaeus), O. leaiana (Kirby) and O. aurulenta (Panzer), O. caerulescens (Linnaeus) (Else, in prep.)) and Chelostoma. The female enters the nest of the host and lays an egg on or near the egg of the host. Gauld and Bolton (1988) indicate that the sting is used to penetrate the cell wall, thus acting as an ovipositor. P Westrich (pers.com., 1999) says that the egg is placed directly in the cell. On hatching, the first instar larva, which has large mandibles, eats the egg of the host. Later instars have smaller mandibles and feed on the stored food of the host.

Author of profile:

M E Archer.

Year profile last updated:

SR - August 2016

Hedychridium cupreum

Authority:

(Dahlbom,1845)

Previously known as H. integrum (Dahlbom, 1854). Identification keys and general biology are given in Morgan (1984), Gauld and Bolton (1988), Kunz (1994) and Linsenmaier (1997).

Distribution:

Dorset to West Sussex, north to Cumberland and South-east Yorkshire. Channel Islands.

Overseas found in many parts of Europe, particularly in the north (including Sweden, Finland, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italian Alps, Poland, Austria, and Hungary).

Status (in Britain only):

Falk (1991) lists this species as Notable B [now known as Scarce (Nb)].

Habitat:

Found in open sandy situations, including coastal dunes, heathlands and disturbed locations such as sand pits.

Flight period:

Univoltine. From June until August but mainly during July.

Taxonomic hierarchy:

Hedychridium cupreum

Flowers visited:

No information available.

Parasitic biology:

A parasitoid on the mature larvae, or a cleptoparasite on the food stores of the sphecid wasp Dryudella pinguis (Dahlbom). The female enters the subterranean burrow of its host and lays an egg in each of the cells. No further information has been found.

Author of profile:

M E Archer.

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