One of eight British species in the Vespidae family of social wasps, the Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) is our most frequently seen social wasp. In the US it is known as the Yellowjacket.

Common wasps live in a colony which can contain up to 2,000 other wasps.

Each colony consists of:
Queen - who lays all the eggs Larvae - The young wasps which hatch from the queen's eggs Workers - who catch and kill the food for the larvae
Drones - whose main purpose is to mate with the queen.

The wasp nest is normally built underground, or sometimes under the eaves or in the attics of buildings. It is made from paper which the wasps create by chewing wood into a pulp.

In spring and early summer, the workers go out to sting caterpillars, flies and other insects which they bring back to the nest as food for the developing larvae. The larvae in turn produce a sweet saliva which the adults drink.

By the end of summer the wasp larvae will have transformed into adult males and queens. The queen stops laying eggs, and usually dies. Without larvae, the other wasps have no food, and so they leave the nest in search of alternatives, such as fruit and nectar.

Once mated, the new queens fly off to find a place to hibernate through the winter. The following year each one that survives the winter will start a new colony.

Tags:   Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris Wasp Insect Yellowjacket Vespidae Social Wasp Ivy Hedera helix Bzzzzzzz

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I saw lots of these small wasps feeding on some kind of umbelliferae (?Rock Samphire) which was growing at the base of a cliff in sandy Barafundle Bay in the Stackpole Nature Reserve in Wales.

Thanks to ABB@50, Ash Perkins and KHR Images for the ID help. I think this is the Digger Wasp Mellinus arvensis. My only hesitation is the colour of the legs, so if anyone thinks we've got it wrong please let me know! Thanks!

The Field Digger Wasp is one of the commonest and most widespread solitary wasp species in Britain and Ireland. The wasp flies late in the year, and is active from late July to October in sandy places (such as heaths, dunes, waste places and even gardens). The wasp hunts for a range of large flies for stocking the larval brood cells.

Tags:   Wasp Insect Barafundle Bay Stackpole Nature Reserve Wales National Trust Macro Feeding Umbelliferae Coastal Elie Bug Bzzzzzzz! Field Digger Wasp Mellinus arvensis

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I think this may be either Dyspetes praerogator or Pimpla rufipes, or as cheryl.beal suggest Lissonata sp. - can anyone help PLEASE?! Thanks!

Tags:   Sunningwell Wasp Umbellieferae Oxfordshire Bzzzzzzzz!

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I've spent ages hunting through books and websites trying to ID this fella with no luck at all! Can anyone help with an ID PLEASE?! Thanks!

Tags:   Sunningwell Wasp Umbelliferae Oxfordshire Bzzzzzz!

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We spotted this handsome fella at the Eden Project. He was dicing with death crawling around on one of the carniverous pitcher plants that grow in the gardens outdoors!

(If anyone can help with a more specific ID that would be great!)

Tags:   Eden Project Wasp Eumenidae Pitcher Plant Bzzzzzzz! Cornwall Insect

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