Worcestershire Record No. 24 April 2008 p. 21
Kevin McGee
Symmorphus cannexus (male) © Kevin McGe |
The national status of this species is listed as very rare by M.E.Archer. There are recent records from Kent, Hampshire and Oxfordshire. Symmorphus species nest in existing cavities in a variety of situations ranging from dead plant stems to old walls. Prey items are placed in the modified cavity alongside which an egg is laid and the resulting larva then feeds on the prey and pupates in the nest chamber. The prey collected by S.connexus are the larvae of the micro moth Gracillaria stigmatella (Fabr.) and the chrysomelid beetle Zeugophora subspinosa (Fabr.). Both of the latter feed on Aspen foliage. Z.subspinosa is actually rather a localised leaf-beetle, I have just one record of an adult collected from Tiddesley on 12th June 2006 which was determined by P.F.Whitehead. Woods in the county with records of the hosts may contain as yet unknown populations of this rare wasp.
References:EDWARDS, R. 2000. Provisional Atlas of the aculeate Hymenoptera of Britain and Ireland. Part 1. BWARS |
Acknowledgements:
With thanks to Geoff Trevis and Paul Whitehead for their expertise.
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