Large cuckoo wasp (Stilbum cyanurum) (Förster, 1771) - Cyprus

Family Chrysididae

Stilbum cyanurum, the large cuckoo wasp, is a species of cuckoo wasps (insects in the family Chrysididae)

Stilbum cyanurum can reach a length of about 20 millimetres (0.79 in). The colour range of this widespread species is considerable. Head and thorax usually are bluish green, while the abdomen is golden red

These wasps parasitize various mud-nesting hymenoptera belonging to the Eumenidae family (Eumenes unguiculatus, Eumenes unguiculatum, Katamenes arbustorum), Sphecidae family (Pelopoeus distillatorius, Sceliphron caementarium, Sceliphron destillatorium and Sceliphron madraspatanum) and Megachilidae family (Chalicodoma, Megachile)

This widespread species is present in Spain, Switzerland, Afro-Tropical Region, Australian Region, East Paleoarctic ecozone, Near East, North Africa, Cyprus and Oriental Region
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stilbum_cyanurum

Photos Stavros Psocas 1/7/2018 by George Konstantinou

Potter wasps.- Rhynchium oculatum (Fabricius, 1781) - Cyprus

Rhynchium is an Australian, Afrotropical, Indomalayan and Palearctic genus of potter wasps.

Family: Vespidae

Sub family: Eumeninae (has approximately 3000 associated species in the world).

Maximum size 30 mm

A widespread species, found mainly around the warmer Mediterranean Countries of Europe and into North Africa; reaching over to the far eastern countries of Iran and neighbouring countries.

R. oculatum, is a large solitary Potter wasp, having an important part in the biological control of many lepidoptera (Geometridae, Tortricidae) Caterpillars, also Coleoptera, (Curculionidae, Chrysomelidae) Larvae of Beetles, which are preyed upon, to provide provisions for their young larvae.

The prey is paralised, then taken to her nesting site, usually the nest is found in decaying wooden holes and crevices, sealed with mud.

This wasp is beneficial to commercial growers and gardeners, as like most wasps, they are a natural biocontrol of garden pests, such as beetle larvae, flies and a variety of caterpillar pests.

Habitat: Many various locations, from dry scrub areas to rich meadows, grasslands, orchards, crop fields, urban gardens and wetlands, wherever their prey and nectar plants are to be found.

A variety of plants are visited by the adult wasp for pollen and nectar, Plants belonging to the Euphorbiaceae (Spurge Family), Asteraceae (particularly the hardy common Ragwort) and Apiaceae family (mainly parsley) seem to be mostly favoured.

Rhynchium oculatum is not considered to be aggressive, but If the wasp feels threatened, especially near a nesting site, they will not hesitate to protect their larvae. A sting can be very painful from this wasp and like all venomous animals, a sting can produce a potentially anaphylactic (allergic) reaction for some people. Don’t forget unlike most insects, a wasp can sting multiple times! From https://www.wildlifenatural.com/Insects-in-Spain/Rhynchium-oculatum/

 Photos Nicosia by George Konstantinou

Rhynchium oculatum (Fabricius, 1789)

Οικογένεια: Vespidae

Υποοικογένεια: Eumeninae (έχει περίπου 3000 σχετικά είδη στον κόσμο).

Μέγιστο μέγεθος 30 mm

Είδος ευρέως διαδεδομένο, που απαντάται κυρίως γύρω από τις θερμότερες μεσογειακές χώρες της Ευρώπης και στη Βόρεια Αφρική. φτάνοντας στις ανατολικές χώρες του Ιράν και στις γειτονικές χώρες.

Το R. oculatum, είναι μια μεγάλη μοναχική σφήκα Πότερ, που έχει σημαντικό ρόλο στον βιολογικό έλεγχο πολλών λεπιδόπτερων (Geometridae, Tortricidae) Caterpillars, επίσης Coleoptera, (Curculionidae, Chrysomelidae) Προνύμφες των σκαθαριών, τα οποία θηρεύονται για την παροχή προμήθειας τις νεαρές προνύμφες τους.

Το θήραμα παραλύεται, στη συνέχεια μεταφέρεται στο σημείο φωλεοποίησης του, συνήθως η φωλιά βρίσκεται σε σάπιες ξύλινες τρύπες και σχισμές, σφραγισμένες με λάσπη.

Αυτή η σφήκα είναι ωφέλιμη για τους εμπορικούς καλλιεργητές και τους κηπουρούς, καθώς όπως οι περισσότερες σφήκες, αποτελούν φυσικό βιοέλεγχο των παρασίτων του κήπου, όπως οι προνύμφες σκαθαριών, οι μύγες και μια ποικιλία παρασίτων κάμπιας.

Βιότοπος: Πολλές διάφορες τοποθεσίες, από ξηρές θαμνώδεις περιοχές μέχρι πλούσια λιβάδια, λιβάδια, οπωρώνες, χωράφια, αστικούς κήπους και υγροτόπους, όπου κι αν βρίσκονται τα θηράματά τους και τα φυτά νέκταρ.

Η ενήλικη σφήκα επισκέπτεται μια ποικιλία φυτών για γύρη και νέκταρ, Φυτά που ανήκουν στα Euphorbiaceae (Οικογένεια Spurge), Asteraceae (ιδιαίτερα το ανθεκτικό κοινό Ragwort) και Apiaceae (κυρίως μαϊντανός) φαίνεται να ευνοούνται περισσότερο.

Το Rhynchium oculatum δεν θεωρείται επιθετικό, αλλά εάν η σφήκα αισθανθεί ότι απειλείται, ειδικά κοντά σε ένα σημείο φωλεοποίησης, δεν θα διστάσει να προστατεύσει τις προνύμφες της. Ένα τσίμπημα μπορεί να είναι πολύ επώδυνο από αυτή τη σφήκα και όπως όλα τα δηλητηριώδη ζώα, ένα τσίμπημα μπορεί να προκαλέσει μια δυνητικά αναφυλακτική (αλλεργική) αντίδραση για μερικούς ανθρώπους. Μην ξεχνάτε, σε αντίθεση με τα περισσότερα έντομα, μια σφήκα μπορεί να τσιμπήσει πολλές φορές!

German wasp - Vespula germanica (Fabricius, 1793) - Σφήκα η γερμανική - Cyprus

Vespula germanica (European wasp, German wasp, or German yellowjacket) is a species of wasp found in much of the Northern Hemisphere, native to Europe, Northern Africa, and temperate Asia. It has been introduced and is well-established in many other places, including North America, South America (Argentina and Chile), Australia, and New Zealand. German wasps are part of the family Vespidae and are sometimes mistakenly referred to as paper wasps because they build grey paper nests, although strictly speaking, paper wasps are part of the subfamily Polistinae. In North America, they are also known as yellowjackets.

Vespula germanica belongs to the genus Vespula, which includes various species of social wasps that are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, these wasps are most commonly known as yellowjackets, but this name also applies to species within the sister genus Dolichovespula. Members of the Vespula genus are often confused with other genera, especially the paper wasp Polistes dominula. Colonies of V. germanica share many characteristics with those of V. vulgaris and V. pensylvanica, so they are very often studied together.

The German wasp is about 13 mm (0.5 in) long, has a mass of 74.1 ± 9.6 mg,[2] and has typical wasp colours of black and yellow. It is very similar to the common wasp (V. vulgaris), but unlike the common wasp, has three tiny black dots on the clypeus. German wasps also have black dots on their abdomens, while the common wasp's analogous markings are fused with the black rings above them, forming a different pattern. However, the identification of this species might be difficult because this black mark on its clypeus can sometimes appear broken, once again making it look extremely similar to V. germanica.

V. germanica originated in Europe, Asia, and North Africa and can now be found in sections of almost every continent. It has established populations in North America, South America, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. German yellowjackets are known to be especially successful and destructive invaders of new territories. These wasps are polyphagous predators which feed on native arthropods, and because they are able to outcompete many other animals for food, they have caused considerable harm to the indigenous wildlife of areas which they have invaded. V. germanica disperses at a rate of no more than 1000 m per year, so their rapid dispersal is most likely being aided by accidental human transport of hibernating queens. This normally leads to a bottleneck effect during the establishment of new populations, which explains the significant genetic differentiation often found among geographically distant populations.

The nest is made from chewed plant fibres, mixed with saliva. The majority of nests are found in the soil below ground. A significant portion of nests are found in artificial structures such as attics, and a small portion are found above ground.

A single queen initiates a nest in the spring by constructing an embryonic nest, which contains a series of hexagonal cells. These cells are used to house one wasp through the immature stages of life: egg, larval instars, and pupae. The colony grows rapidly during the summer with a huge increase in worker numbers and nest size. By the end of summer, the rate of growth slows considerably and more males are produced than workers, and the focus is shifted from building small cells to building cells that are 30-40% larger. These new cells house the new queens and males. In the fall, the new queens begin hibernation, while the old queens die off and the colony collapses. In some cases, the nests may survive through the winter and reach the next season. If this occurs, the nest will become polygynous and reach a much larger size than in the previous year.

V. germanica nests are strongly affected by climate. Average colonies in Australia contain over 9500 small workers and 3600 large queen and male cells. By the end of May, colonies in Australia have 15,000 wasps emerging from small cells and 2500 wasps emerging from the large cells. This is up to 80% more than colonies observed in England where climate conditions are much less favorable. Additionally, a significant number of nests in Australia are able to survive the winter, in comparison to England where none of the nests survive. This demonstrates that V. germanica nests can reach a substantial size in tolerable climate conditions
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Kormakitis 27/3/2016 by George Konstantinou

Campsomeriella thoracica (Fabricius, 1787) - Cyprus

Campsomeriella thoracica is a wasp with a length of 16-19 mm in the family Scoliidae. The female is very different from the male. It is black with reddish pubescence on head and thorax. 
It is found in the Mediterranean area and the western Asia. The orange colour is missing from the males in the western populations.
In Cyprus it is common in costal areas.

Photos Apostolos Antreas , 8/8/2015 by George Konstantinou

European beewolf - Philanthus triangulum (Fabricius, 1775) - Cyprus

Philanthus triangulum, commonly known as the European beewolf or the bee-eating philanthus (from the now obsolete synonym Philanthus apivorus), is a solitary wasp that lives in Europe and Northern Africa. Although the adults of the species are herbivores (feeding on nectar and pollen), the species derives its name from the behavior of the inseminated females, who hunt Western honey bees. The female places several of its paralyzed prey together with an egg in a small underground chamber, to serve as food for the wasp larvae. All members of the genus Philanthus hunt various species of bees, but P. triangulum is apparently the only one that specializes in Western honey bees.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Geri , 31/10/ 2014 by George Konstantinou

Evania appendigaster (Linnaeus, 1758) - Cyprus

Evania appendigaster is a species of wasp in the family Evaniidae, the ensign wasps. Its native range is not known, but it likely originated in Asia. Today it occurs throughout the tropics and subtropics and in many temperate regions. It is a parasitoid wasp known for specializing on cockroaches.
This is one of the larger ensign wasps, with forewings up to about 7 millimeters long. It is distinguished from other species by the wide separation of the first and second sections of the coxa, the segment of the leg that attaches to the body. It is black in color. The abdominal petiole, the constricted stalk that holds the posterior section of the abdomen, or gaster, is attached high on the body. The gaster is laterally compressed and oval to nearly triangular in shape, held in a flaglike fashion and resembling an ensign, a characteristic of the family that inspired the common name ensign wasp
This wasp reproduces by laying eggs in the egg cases, or oothecae, of cockroaches. The wasplarvae use the cockroach eggs as a food source. Host cockroaches include the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana), Australian cockroach (P. australasiae), brown cockroach (P. brunnea), Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis), whitemargined cockroach (Melanozosteria soror), and harlequin cockroach (Neostylopyga rhombifolia).

Detailed descriptions of the oviposition process in this species have been published. As one 1920 account describes it, "the Evaniid left the inside wall of the confining tumbler, ran over the Blattid ootheca, crawled over the surface momentarily as she actively vibrated her antenna and finally settled upon it with the long axis of her body parallel with the long axis of the egg mass as it lay upon its right side. Having satisfactorily settled herself, lying upon her right side she extended her ovipositor and crawling slightly forward she punctured the ootheca in the fifth egg cell of the left side, remaining in position for about fifteen minutes. She then left the egg mass and resting upon the inside wall of the tumbler actively cleaned the ovipositor, wings and antennae.

As a 1957 account describes the "peculiar" egg-laying behavior, "the female lies on her side and, with legs braced against the oötheca, penetrates the tough integument of the egg-capsule after about half-an-hour's hard labour. The process apparently requires "a good deal of hard work and much wriggling of the abdomen.

Other authors describe it as a seven-step process. The wasp lands on the ootheca and drums on it with her antennae. During step two, she extends her ovipositor and taps on the ootheca in several places for up to ten minutes, apparently searching for an appropriate site. After a rest period she begins "drilling", repeatedly inserting her ovipositor. Step five is the actual oviposition stage, in which wasps "just sit on ootheca and lay eggs" Steps six and seven are the withdrawal of the ovipositor and departure, respectively.

One egg is deposited in each cockroach egg capsule, and the wasp larva consumes all the eggs within it. The larva proceeds through five instars during development, stages which are distinguished by the changes in the unique mandibles. The first instar has mandibles with small, sharp teeth which it must use to open the tough cockroach eggs.During the next two instars, the larva has longer mandibles which are "shaped like a gauntlet glove with three teeth. The final two instars have thicker mandibles with a long, blunt upper tooth and a narrow, curving lower tooth.

When the larva reaches about 8 millimeters in length it pupates. Upon maturity it cuts a hole in the egg capsule and exits. The adult wasp lives for two or three weeks. It may spend some time on plants such as parsley and fennel. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

.Photos Geri 8/10/2015  by George Konstantinou

Myrmilla sp. - Cyprus

Family: Mutillidae

Photos Geri, 27/7/2015 by George Konstantinou

 

Potter wasp or mason wasps - Σφήκες αγγειοπλάστες - Eumeninae - Vespidae - Cyprus

Potter wasps (or mason wasps), the Eumeninae, are a cosmopolitan wasp group presently treated as a subfamily of Vespidae, but sometimes recognized in the past as a separate family, Eumenidae.
Most eumenine species are black or brown, and commonly marked with strikingly contrasting patterns of yellow, white, orange, or red (or combinations thereof), but some species, mostly fromtropical regions, show faint to strong blue or green metallic highlights in the background colors. Like most vespids, their wings are folded longitudinally at rest. They are particularly recognized by the following combination of characteristics: 1) a posterolateral projection known as a parategula on both sides of the mesoscutum; 2) tarsal claws cleft; 3) hind coxae with a longitudinal dorsal carina or folding, often developed into a lobe or tooth; and 4) fore wings with three submarginal cells.
Eumenine wasps are diverse in nest building. The different species may either use existing cavities (such as beetle tunnels in wood, abandoned nests of other Hymenoptera, or even man-made holes like old nail holes and even screw shafts on electronic devices) that they modify in several degrees, or they construct their own either underground or exposed nests. The nest may have one or several individual brood cells. The most widely used building material is mud made of a mixture of soil and regurgitated water, but many species use chewed plant material, instead.

The name "potter wasp" derives from the shape of the mud nests built by species of Eumenes and similar genera. It is believed that Native Americans based their pottery designs upon the form of local potter wasp nests.

All known eumenine species are predators, most of them solitary mass provisioners, though some isolated species show primitive states of social behaviour and progressive provisioning.

When a cell is completed, the adult wasp typically collects beetle larvae, spiders, or caterpillars and, paralyzing them, places them in the cell to serve as food for a single wasp larva. As a normal rule, the adult wasp lays a single egg in the empty cell before provisioning it. Some species lay the egg in the opening of the cell, suspended from a thread of dried fluid. When the wasp larva hatches, it drops and starts to feed upon the supplied prey for a few weeks before pupating. The complete lifecycle may last from a few weeks to more than a year from the egg until the adult emerges. Adult potter wasps feed on floral nectar.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photos Nicosia by George Konstantinou

See also 

Heath Potter wasp nest - Eumenes coarctatus (Linnaeus, 1758)- Family Vespidae - Σφήκες αγγειοπλάστες - Cyprus

Potter wasps - Katamenes dimidiatus (Brullé, 1832) - Cyprus

Potter wasps.- Rhynchium oculatum (Fabricius, 1781) - Cyprus