The Essex Naturalist
63
Ancistrocerus antilope (Panzer) - RDB 3
Nests in a wide range of cavities from old beetles holes to holes in walls. Preys
on Lepidopterous larvae of a wide variety, especially moths of the pyralid genus
Crambus. Also occasionally reported preying on beetle and sawfly larvae.
Recorded as "not uncommon at raspberry flowers" for the Colchester area by
Harwood (1884) without further detail. Billericay and Colchester district
(Nicholson 1928). We have not recorded it in the county in recent years.
A. gazella (Panzer)
Nests in cut stems and other cavities.
Unlike the preceding species, A. gazella is fairly widely recorded, with records
from Hainault in 1986, Wanstead Flats - undated (M Hanson) and since 1989
at Tiptree Heath, Dolphin Quarry, PH's garden at Grays, Broom Hill (West
Tilbury), Berwick Pond, Rainham, Upminster and Linford Sand Pit. It is
probably widespread across the county in suitable habitats.
A. nigricornis (Curtis)
Nests in a wide variety of cavities and prey particularly on larvae of the
Lepidopteran family Tortricidae.
Listed for the Colchester area by Harwood (1884) "as early as March 26th
1883". Billericay, Colchester district (Nicholson 1928). More recently we have
recorded it at Horsey Island, East Tilbury Silt Lagoons, on Sunshine Plain in
Epping Forest and at Thorndon Park South.
A. parietinus (L.)
Nests in a wide variety of cavities and even recorded indoors in cotton reels and
between books on a shelf! Preys on a variety of small caterpillars.
Listed for the Colchester area by Harwood (1884) without further detail.
Common and generally distributed: Billericay, Hale End, Highams Park, etc.
(Nicholson 1928). Recorded from High Beach between 1976 and 1990 in
Hanson (1992). Our recent records are for Linford sand Pit and Mucking Heath.
A. parietum (L.)
Nests in a wide variety of cavities.
Listed for the Colchester area by Harwood (1884) without further detail.
Colchester district, Shenfield (Nicholson 1928). So far only recorded recently at
Dolphin Quarry, Purfleet and in PH's garden at Grays.
A. scoticus (Curtis)
Often builds nest cells on rocks, but also in cut stems. Preys on a variety of
lepidopterous caterpillars and on some chrysomelid beetle larvae.
The only recent records are from pitfall traps set for spiders at Colne Point, in
1990 and at Rushey Mead N.R. neat Bishops Stortford in 1995.
A. trifasciatus (Muller)
Nests in cut stems and in holes in wood. Also recorded in galls of Andricus
kollari. Preys on small lepidopterous larvae and on chrysomelid beetle larvae.