''Dipogon variegatus'' is a

pompilid Wasps in the family Pompilidae are commonly called spider wasps, spider-hunting wasps, or pompilid wasps. The family is cosmopolitan, with some 5,000 species in six subfamilies. Nearly all species are solitary (with the exception of some group-ne ...

spider wasp in the subfamily

Pepsinae The Pepsinae are a subfamily of the spider wasp family, Pompilidae, including the tarantula hawks, as well as smaller species. Genera *''Ageniella'' Banks, 1912 *'' Allaporus'' Banks, 1933 *''Auplopus'' Spinola, 1841 250px, '' Auplopus carbona ...

from the

Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...

Identification

''Dipogon variegatus'' can reach a body length of about . Like the other two British species of '' Dipogon'' this is an all black wasp with bifasciate forewings (two dark brown bands) with a white spot at the top. The females can be recognised by transverse wrinkles on the first abdominal segment, in males these are less prominent and the subgenital plate at the tip of the

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the torso. ...

has long ventral hairs.

Distribution

This species can be found in most of Europe, in the eastern

Palearctic realm The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...

, and in North Africa. In Britain it is mainly found in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

with scattered records in the south of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

and the central Highlands but has not been recorded recently in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Habitat

These wasps inhabit a wide variety of open habitats including gardens, parks, fields, meadows and coastal heaths.

Biology

Adults have a flight period from May to October. ''D.variegatus'' will utilise almost any kind of pre-existing cavity including dead plant stems, dead wood, masonry cavities and even old snail shells. The nest cavity is plugged with sand grains, soil or plant debris which is bound together by spider silk collected by the female using the maxillar bristles which give the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

'' Dipogon'' its name. In small cavities single cells may be constructed but if space permits multiple cells will be built. Each cell is provided with one spider, mainly belonging to the genera

Clubiona ''Clubiona'' is a genus of sac spiders that was first described by Pierre André Latreille in 1804. Species the genus contains 493 species and seven subspecies. These species and subspecies are found in Oceania, Africa, North America, the Carib ...

Thomisus ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 150 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

and Xysticus. Jan Smit
The Wasps of Madeira (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae, Pompilidae, Vespidae, Sphecidae)
In: Entomofauna In Britain it seems to exclusively prey on the

crab spider The Thomisidae are a family of spiders, including about 170 genera and over 2,100 species. The common name crab spider is often linked to species in this family, but is also applied loosely to many other families of spiders. Many members of th ...

Xysticus cristatus ''Xysticus cristatus'', the common crab spider, is a European spider from the family Thomisidae. Description The adults of ''Xysticus cristatus'' can reach a body length of about in the female, of about in the smaller male. The colour varies ...

''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q934518 Hymenoptera of Europe Pepsinae Wasps described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus