Species Account for Cerceris ruficornis
Cerceris ruficornis (Fabricius, 1793)
a digger wasp
Aculeata: Crabronidae
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Taxonomic group: bees and wasps (Aculeata) - County data
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Essex RDB: Listed
Threat: Essex Vulnerable
Images
sorry, no pictures available for this species yet - if you have an image please upload itEssex Red Data List comment
preys on weevils, recent work shows should be Nb
Species text
This wasp is sometimes locally common on sandy heathland in southern England, including coastal heaths in Cornwall, but there are few records elsewhere. The restricted distribution and its precise habitat requirements suggest that it may be under threat (Edwards, 1997) and it a proposed Scarce B species (www.bwars.com). It was proposed as a potential species for the UKBAP (Edwards, 2004) on the basis of modern decline. In Essex it has only been recorded from Rowhedge in N. Essex in 1986 and single specimens at 2 locations in Thurrock in 1996. The wasp preys on curculionid weevils, occasionally also beetles in other families. References
Habitats
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Interpretation of distribution maps