Great clay wasp
| Great clay wasp | ||||||||||||
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Great clay wasp ( Delta unguiculatum ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Delta unguiculatum | ||||||||||||
| ( Villers , 1789) |
The great clay wasp ( Delta unguiculatum ), also known as the Delta clay wasp , is a hymenoptera from the family of the wasps (Vespidae). It is the only species of its genus in Europe.
features
Females reach a body length of 20 to 26 millimeters, males are 16 to 20 millimeters long. This makes the species the largest solitary fold wasp in Central Europe. Their body is black and partly dark red in color, the abdomen wears wide yellow bands. Due to its color and size, and also its behavior, it is easy to determine.
Occurrence
The great clay wasp occurs from southern Europe to Asia Minor , with the northern limit of its distribution running through southern Germany. It predominantly colonizes human settlements ( synanthropy ) and can be found on sunny walls and exposed stones. The animals fly in one generation from early June to late August.
Way of life
The females lay their clay nests on stones and walls, preferably on light, rough surfaces. The nests can be found on buildings up to about 15 meters high. They consist of up to seven cells, which are then covered with a clay mortar. The shape of the nest is reminiscent of a dried lump of clay. Since the nests are created close to humans, they are severely affected by willful destruction. The larvae are each supplied with two to three caterpillars by spanners or owl butterflies . The larvae feed on their food supply for about 12 days and pupate in a cocoon .
swell
literature
- Rolf Witt: Wasps. Observe, determine. Naturbuch-Verlag, Augsburg 1998, ISBN 3-89440-243-1 .
