Species Account for Hedychrum niemelai
Hedychrum niemelai Linsenmaier, 1959
a cuckoo wasp
Aculeata: Chrysididae
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Taxonomic group: bees and wasps (Aculeata) - County data
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Status: RDB 3
Essex RDB: Listed
Threat: Essex Threatened
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parasite on Cerceris quinquefasciata
Species text
The ruby-tailed wasp Hedychrum niemelai is a cleptoparasite of the national Biodiversity Action Plan RDB3 Cerceris quinquefaciata and other Cerceris species in hot situations. In the past the species was apparently locally common in southern England, from W. Cornwall to W. Norfolk, but now seems to be very scarce, with post-1970 information from only a handful of sites. It is known to inhabit open, sandy situations with nesting taking place in bare or sparsely vegetated sandy substrates fully exposed to the sun. The Cerceris is recorded collecting a number of weevils as prey, including some very common species. The UK Action Plan gives the loss of open areas of sandy ground for nesting and flower-rich grasslands for foraging as the current factors causing decline. Cerceris quinquefaciata is currently subject to research into its autecology. References
Habitats
Recorded management for locations with Hedychrum niemelai
Recorded substrate and hydrology for locations with Hedychrum niemelai
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