''Symmorphus gracilis'' is a species of tube-nesting wasps.

Subspecies

Subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

include: *''Symmorphus gracilis gracilis'' (Brullé, 1832) *''Symmorphus gracilis libanicus'' Giordani Soika, 1963

Distribution and habitat

This rather common species is present in most of Europe and 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 ...

. These wasps mainly inhabit meadows, hedge rows, damp places close to streams, and man-made environments.

Description

Adults of ''Symmorphus gracilis'' can reach a length of in males, of in females.J.K. Lindse
Commanster
/ref> These slender tube-nesting wasps have a black head and furrows on the black thorax. On T1 there are a transverse hull and a median longitudinal groove. The small scales at the base of the forewings are black with a yellow border. Antennae of the males are straight up to the end. In the females there are dimples behind the posterior ocelli.

Biology

Adults can be found from June to August. They made their nest in a variety of locations, mainly in hollow stems, e.g. bramble and elder, but also in cavities in walls and disused plant galls. In these existing cavities the females makes several cells, divided by clay. Larvae feed on insects stored by adults, mainly larvae of a chrysomelid beetle (''

Chrysomela populi ''Chrysomela populi'' is a species of broad-shouldered leaf beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Chrysomelinae. Distribution This species is one of the most widespread and frequent species of leaf beetles from the subfamily Ch ...

'') and of a figwort weevil (''

Cionus hortulanus ''Cionus hortulanus'' is a species of weevils belonging to the family Curculionidae, subfamily Curculioninae. Etymology The genus name ''Cionus'' derives from the Greek ''kíonos'', meaning ''column'', with reference to the shape of the snout. T ...

'').Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society
/ref>

Bibliography

*Antonio Giordani Soika (1970) Boll.Mus.Civ.Stor.nat.Venezia Contributo alla conoscenza degli Eumenidi del Medio Oriente. Missione Giordani Soika in Iran 1965, III., Volume: 20-21 *Horst-Günter Woydak (2001) Natur und Heimat Die solitären Faltenwespen: Eumenidae (Lehmwespen) und Masaridae (Honigwespen im Westfälischen Museum für Naturkunde Münster, Volume: 61 *Michael E. Archer (2002) Yorkshire Naturalists Union The wasps, ants and bees (Hymenoptera: aculeata) of Watsonian Yorkshire

References

External links

Atlas Hymenoptera

Potter wasps Insects described in 1832 {{potter-wasp-stub