"Dave Poole" wrote in message
news
This morning, while yanking out some ground elder, I suddenly became
aware that I was surrounded by small wasps. Body shape was more or
less typical of our native English wasp, but it was approximately a
quarter to a third smaller. The body colour was predominantly black
with bright yellow bands without the typical vee-formation along the
dorsal surface of the abdomen. The antennae were matt reddish brown
and slightly lighter at the tips as opposed to the glossy black of
both European and English wasps.

Compared to the common wasps, they are very nervous and fly away at
the slightest movement. As with common wasps, they were carrying out
typical hunting manoeuvers, carefully searching for small insects and
larvae amongst the foliage. They seem to exhibit social behaviour as
with common wasps, but appear totally non-aggressive. In a way they
seem quite charming little things. Any ideas - please? I'm quite
familiar with the 'false wasps' so I can't see them being any of the
hover flies or similar.


If it were not for the behaviour description, I'd say your description of
the physical appearance was reminiscent of the yellow nomad bee, nomada
flava, or one of the other 20 or so related species, some of which are also
black/yellow.

Anothr possibility might be the slender bodied digger wasp, crabro
cribrarius, perhaps, although that is almost as large as most common wasps?

"Dave Poole" wrote in message
news
This morning, while yanking out some ground elder, I suddenly became
aware that I was surrounded by small wasps. Body shape was more or
less typical of our native English wasp, but it was approximately a
quarter to a third smaller. The body colour was predominantly black
with bright yellow bands without the typical vee-formation along the
dorsal surface of the abdomen. The antennae were matt reddish brown
and slightly lighter at the tips as opposed to the glossy black of
both European and English wasps.

Compared to the common wasps, they are very nervous and fly away at
the slightest movement. As with common wasps, they were carrying out
typical hunting manoeuvers, carefully searching for small insects and
larvae amongst the foliage. They seem to exhibit social behaviour as
with common wasps, but appear totally non-aggressive. In a way they
seem quite charming little things. Any ideas - please? I'm quite
familiar with the 'false wasps' so I can't see them being any of the
hover flies or similar.


There is a whole slew (well maybe 100 species in the UK; I cannot remember
more precise numbers) of "solitary wasps" which look roughly like social
wasps although most are smaller and neater looking. They catch insects and
bury them in small holes with eggs. As their name suggests, they are
solitary (or live in pairs) although you occasionally find a concentration
of them. In my experience, I have usually only come across them one at a
time; what you described, sounded like quite a lot. They are pretty and
their behaviour(s) are fascinating and sometimes bizarre. They go to great
lengths to make sure that no one (no other wasp) has hijacked their
burrows/eggs. Lucky you to have a bunch of them.

Des


Dave Poole
Torquay, Coastal South Devon UK
Winter min -2°C. Summer max 34°C.
Growing season: March - November

"Des Higgins" wrote in message
...

"Dave Poole" wrote in message
news
This morning, while yanking out some ground elder, I suddenly became
aware that I was surrounded by small wasps. Body shape was more or
less typical of our native English wasp, but it was approximately a
quarter to a third smaller. The body colour was predominantly black
with bright yellow bands without the typical vee-formation along the
dorsal surface of the abdomen. The antennae were matt reddish brown
and slightly lighter at the tips as opposed to the glossy black of
both European and English wasps.


like any of these??
http://www.earthlife.net/insects/solwasps.html

The message
from Dave Poole contains these words:

Any ideas - please?

I'll repost in a Zetnet newsgroup so Mary Fisher will see it - I don't
think she's here ATM.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Dave Poole" wrote
This morning, while yanking out some ground elder, I suddenly became
aware that I was surrounded by small wasps. Body shape was more or
less typical of our native English wasp, but it was approximately a
quarter to a third smaller. The body colour was predominantly black
with bright yellow bands without the typical vee-formation along the
dorsal surface of the abdomen. The antennae were matt reddish brown
and slightly lighter at the tips as opposed to the glossy black of
both European and English wasps.

Compared to the common wasps, they are very nervous and fly away at
the slightest movement. As with common wasps, they were carrying out
typical hunting manoeuvers, carefully searching for small insects and
larvae amongst the foliage. They seem to exhibit social behaviour as
with common wasps, but appear totally non-aggressive. In a way they
seem quite charming little things. Any ideas - please? I'm quite
familiar with the 'false wasps' so I can't see them being any of the
hover flies or similar.

Dave, try reposting to uk.rec.natural-history. Little used but lots of
knowledgeable people seem to keep an eye on it.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

"Dave Poole" wrote in message
news
This morning, while yanking out some ground elder, I suddenly became
aware that I was surrounded by small wasps. Body shape was more or
less typical of our native English wasp, but it was approximately a
quarter to a third smaller. The body colour was predominantly black
with bright yellow bands without the typical vee-formation along the
dorsal surface of the abdomen. The antennae were matt reddish brown
and slightly lighter at the tips as opposed to the glossy black of
both European and English wasps.

Compared to the common wasps, they are very nervous and fly away at
the slightest movement. As with common wasps, they were carrying out
typical hunting manoeuvers, carefully searching for small insects and
larvae amongst the foliage. They seem to exhibit social behaviour as
with common wasps, but appear totally non-aggressive. In a way they
seem quite charming little things. Any ideas - please? I'm quite
familiar with the 'false wasps' so I can't see them being any of the
hover flies or similar.

Dave Poole
Torquay, Coastal South Devon UK
Winter min -2°C. Summer max 34°C.
Growing season: March - November

Same thing here, saw them for the first time last week hunting in the weeds
alongside one of the tunnels, never seen them before, definitely not
hoverflies.
--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

"Dave Poole" wrote in message
news
This morning, while yanking out some ground elder, I suddenly became
aware that I was surrounded by small wasps.

snip

Any ideas - please? I'm quite
familiar with the 'false wasps' so I can't see them being any of the
hover flies or similar.

Is this them?

http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk/bees.html#Nomada


--
ned

http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk
last update 10.05.2005

Duly passed on, and answered.
-------------------------------------------------------------

The message
from Dave Poole contains these words:

Compared to the common wasps, they are very nervous and fly away at
the slightest movement. As with common wasps, they were carrying out
typical hunting manoeuvers, carefully searching for small insects and
larvae amongst the foliage. They seem to exhibit social behaviour as
with common wasps, but appear totally non-aggressive. In a way they
seem quite charming little things. Any ideas - please? I'm quite
familiar with the 'false wasps' so I can't see them being any of the
hover flies or similar.

I've never heard of 'false' wasps but there are hundreds of different kinds
of solitary wasps (which often live in colonies so appear to be social).
Those described sound like aggregations of solitary wasps. Without killing
them for detailed examination it's very difficult to identify which types
they are and there's no point in it unless for a special study. Just enjoy!
they cannot sting.

Hover flies are flies - not wasps. And of course I will not hear of social
wasps as agressive!

I hope this helps.

Mary
------------------------------------------------------------

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Bob Hobden" wrote

"Dave Poole" wrote
This morning, while yanking out some ground elder, I suddenly became
aware that I was surrounded by small wasps. Body shape was more or
less typical of our native English wasp, but it was approximately a
quarter to a third smaller. The body colour was predominantly black
with bright yellow bands without the typical vee-formation along the
dorsal surface of the abdomen. The antennae were matt reddish brown
and slightly lighter at the tips as opposed to the glossy black of
both European and English wasps.

Compared to the common wasps, they are very nervous and fly away at
the slightest movement. As with common wasps, they were carrying out
typical hunting manoeuvers, carefully searching for small insects and
larvae amongst the foliage. They seem to exhibit social behaviour as
with common wasps, but appear totally non-aggressive. In a way they
seem quite charming little things. Any ideas - please? I'm quite
familiar with the 'false wasps' so I can't see them being any of the
hover flies or similar.

Dave, try reposting to uk.rec.natural-history. Little used but lots of
knowledgeable people seem to keep an eye on it.

I took the liberty of reposting as above and someone replied with this
URL...
http://www.bembix-newsletter.de/gallery/index.htm
Which might help with the ID.

--
Regards
Bob

"Dave Poole" wrote in message
...
Des Higgins wrote:

There is a whole slew (well maybe 100 species in the UK; I cannot
remember
more precise numbers) of "solitary wasps" which look roughly like social
wasps although most are smaller and neater looking.

Cheers Des, there have been up to 20 or more flying about in a
relatively small area - hence my thoughts that they may be a social
species. However, social wasps such as the English wasp tend to
follow reasonably well defined flight paths to the nest, making it
easy to discover its whereabouts. This little wasps are quite
haphazard in that respect and do not appear to be going in any
particular direction. Having watched them for a day or so, I suspect
they each have their own nesting spots within the old wall and the
size of the population is purely coincidental.


These are very nice insects as a group. They do not sting or hang around
barbecues and some of them have extraordinary behaviours. I once tried to
get into them as a kid but I could only ever find one or two at a time and
gave up after a while.
Anyway, enjoy them :-)

Des


I had a look at that URL you suggested and one of the pics of an
Ancistrocerus species is fairly close in terms of body shape, colour
and configuration. The only difference appear to be the colour of the
antennae. So a mason or potter's wasp is probably about as close as I
can get to it. Many thanks.


Dave Poole
Torquay, Coastal South Devon UK
Winter min -2°C. Summer max 34°C.
Growing season: March - November