Anyone who discovers a black wasp in the garden need not be afraid. These insects have little in common with the dreaded wasps that harass the coffee table. There are numerous species that are black in color. Many species prove useful in the garden.

There are many black species in the digger wasp family

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Identify black wasp
  3. Overview: common species
  4. Dangerous, harmless, useful
  5. frequently asked Questions

    6. the essentials in brief

    • To identify black wasps, habitat is helpful. Photos should show as much detail as possible in order to be able to assign the species to a family.
    • The most common black-colored wasps are a few millimeters to a centimeter in size. They belong to the waist wasps and plant wasps. The carpenter bee is a remarkably large wasp.
    • Digger wasps, parasitic wasps,(22.99€) Spider wasps or stalk wasps are families in which many black-colored insects occur.
    • Some wasps have a defensive stinger that they use to sting. Other species have a harmless ovipositor. Plant wasps, on the other hand, are often harmful to plants.

    Black Wasp Spotted - Which Species?

    Various species of hymenoptera are referred to as wasps, including 156,000 species worldwide. They belong to different orders and families that follow variable lifestyles. The banded wasps include not only the German wasp, honey bee and wood ant, but also numerous inconspicuous species. Plant wasps also have small black insects.

    waist wasps plant wasps
    characteristic Body has a constriction no conspicuous wasp waist
    related families e.g. spider wasps, parasitic wasps and digger wasps e.g. wasps
    way of life mostly parasitic mostly herbivores or nectar feeders

    Identification Tips

    Digger wasps are small, often black, wasps with a very delicate body

    Scientists don't make it easy for the layperson to identify a species of wasp discovered in the garden. Pictures and notes from the locality are important to be able to assign the species to a specific family. Each family is characterized by specific characteristics and different ways of life. The coloring is not a clear characteristic, which is why black-colored wasps can be found in various families of the bandicid wasp as well as among the plant wasps.

    Exemplary system:

    • order: Hymenoptera
    • subordination: wasps
    • partial order: stabbing
    • Familys: e.g. spider wasps, digger wasps, parasitic wasps

    Make notes about the location of the wasp. The habitat provides informative information about the species, as many have specialized in certain biotopes. Images are necessary because the insects can only be identified based on their specific physical characteristics. A photo is often not enough, because fine details of the wasps usually remain hidden. Therefore, take as many pictures as possible and cover different perspectives.

    Overview: common species

    Most black wasp species are small to medium-sized, reaching less than two centimeters in size. These wasps belong to the waist or plant wasps. Larger species usually belong to other family groups. They can be observed in species-rich habitats and are often found in close proximity to humans.

    Identifying black wasps requires knowledge of the characteristics of the various families.

    Identify small black wasp

    In Germany there are a large number of wasp species that hardly grow larger than one centimetre. Most species prefer open and sandy habitats as they build their nests in the substrate. Diverse vegetation offers insects valuable retreats and protection during the winter. Dry and sandy garden areas such as wall gaps or joints between paving stones are also settled. Other species have specialized in wetter habitats such as meadows and forests, or colonize dead wood.

    Digger wasps: Pemphredoninae

    Within this subfamily there are numerous black-colored species that are difficult to distinguish from one another. They inhabit similar habitats and are small to medium-sized. This subfamily is one of the most developed digger wasps. Some species show behavior similar to that of bees. The preferred habitats differ little between the common species that occur in the human settlement area:

    • Diodontus minutus: prefers sandy habitats and roadsides
    • Passaloecus corniger: adaptable, nests in feeding tunnels, pithy stems, plant tissue and thatch
    • Pemphredon lethifer: nests in burrows, rotten wood, plant tissue or pithed stems
    • Stigmus solskyi: uses abandoned beetle boreholes
    • Mimumesa atratina: likes to nest between cobblestones

    Digger wasps: Crossocerus

    This genus includes about 200 species, 37 of which occur in Central Europe. These insects prefer cooler climates and are less common in the south. They are small to medium in size and often black in color. The fine dot-like structure is typical, with the body also having smooth and shiny areas. An exact determination of the species is difficult because many species are very similar. The females build their nests in the ground or partially in wood and hollow plant stems.

    Black colored species:

    • Crossocerus elongatulus: on umbellifers and ivy; nests between cobblestones, in wood and in cracks in walls
    • Crossocerus distinguendus: common in different habitats, likes dead wood and cracks in walls
    • Crossocerus quadrimaculatus: inhabits warm sandy habitats

    parasitic wasps

    This family represents the most species-rich group of Hymenoptera occurring in Central Europe. Ichneumonid wasp larvae are parasitic and feed on butterflies, beetles, plant wasps, spiders and other insects and their larvae. Their preferred habitats feature humid conditions. They live in wet meadows or parks with bushy plants.

    The black parasitic wasp (Pimpla rufipes) can often be observed at the edges of forests and clearings or in hedges. It has a slender body that is 10 to 15 millimeters long. Her body is black in color, with her bright orange legs clearly standing out.

    spider wasps

    The species of this family are easily distinguishable from similar hymenoptera in sunny and warm weather, because they have a special way of life. Females actively crawl on vegetation or on the ground in search of prey. They prefer prey with a similar lifestyle and predominately hunt spiders. There are 100 species in Central Europe, of which these black-colored spider wasps are more common:

    • Cryptocheilus versicolor: rarely in structurally rich habitats, on semi-arid grassland and spoil heaps
    • Pipe wasp: one of the most common spider wasps in residential areas, likes sunny and warm places
    • Anoplius concinnus: inhabits sandy habitats, waterfronts and settlement areas

    eye wasps

    Saw wasps only remotely resemble "real" wasps

    Most species of these plant wasps are black in color, although there are also those with yellow markings. The graceful and elongated body is typical. Their abdomen is cylindrical in shape. They are between four and 18 millimeters long and have a movable head that is clearly separated from the body. In Germany, 19 species have been described, one of which is extinct and another is thought to have disappeared.

    genus species native to Germany habitat
    Caenocephus 1 unknown, found only once in Brandenburg
    calameuta 2 (another extinct) Meadows with hollow grasses
    Cepheus 7 Meadows with hollow grasses
    Hartigia 3 woody and herbaceous rosaceae
    janus 3 deciduous trees
    tracheal 2 Meadows with hollow grasses

    Big black wasp?

    A supposedly large black wasp in Germany causes some observers to feel uneasy. The large carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea) reaches a size of between 20 and 28 millimeters and is one of the largest bees in Central Europe. Occasionally, the jet black colored species with the bumblebee-like appearance is mistaken for a black hornet. The dark-toned wings, which have a blue shimmer, are striking. It is more common in warmer habitats.

    digression

    Megalara garuda - Asian giant wasp

    The males of this still largely unknown species can grow up to six centimeters long, while the females stay a little smaller. They belong to the digger wasps and are pitch black in colour. The mouthparts are longer than the front legs and are frightening. Their shape is sickle-like. Females have a stinger that they can use to paralyze their prey. Californian scientist Lynn Kimsey discovered living specimens of this species on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. So far it has not been observed in the wild.

    Steel Blue Cricket Hunter

    This digger wasp, scientifically named Isodontia mexicana, can reach a size of up to two centimeters, with males being slightly smaller than females. They appear solid black and have blackish wings that shimmer bluish in the sun. Adult insects visit flowers and can often be seen on goldenrod or man-litter.

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    Dangerous, harmless and useful species

    Because the species spectrum of black-colored wasps is so broad, behaviors also differ between species. Therefore, there are both useful and harmful types. Black wasps usually do not pose a threat to humans.

    tips

    Plant wasps are harmless. However, many types can damage your plants. Black wasp pests on grain belong to the stalk wasps. But there are also conspicuously colored pests such as the turnip sawfly.

    defensive behavior

    Whether a black wasp can cause a sting depends on the species. In principle, stinging chimneys, which include spider wasps and digger wasps, can be dangerous to humans. These species have a defense spike with which they protect themselves against potential predators. If they feel threatened by humans, they may be stung. This is more or less painful and will heal on its own in most people. Sensitive people and allergy sufferers can experience symptoms similar to those of a wasp or bee sting.

    Is a black wasp poisonous?

    In the insect kingdom, species draw attention to their toxicity by developing warning colors. A typical example of this so-called aposematism is the German wasp with its characteristic black and yellow signal markings. It draws the attention of potential predators to its defensiveness.

    Researchers from Granada have found that the amount of poison is related to the luminosity of the warning colors. The more intense the yellow-black coloration of the collected wasps shone, the more poison these insects had in their stings. Black wasps in Germany, on the other hand, are non-toxic.

    Harmless Species

    Ichneumon wasps have a stinger, but they don't sting people with it

    The Legimmen, which include parasitic wasps, have a ovipositor. Females use it to inoculate their eggs in a suitable substrate. Like plant wasps, they cannot sting with this stinger. There are also species with a ovipositor among these Hymenoptera. Females of the black blade wasps can look scary with their ovipositor, because this clearly protrudes the tip of the abdomen.

    Useful

    Numerous black wasps turn out to be useful creatures in nature. Digger wasps feed on flower nectar and pollen. Their offspring are fed on spiders and other insects. Some species lay their eggs in plant galls caused by stalk flies. Spider wasps prey on spiders, which have a similar lifestyle. Funnel web and wheel spiders are on their menu. They don't stop at crab or sac spiders and can kill the widespread house spider.

    • Crossocerus larvae eat small flies, booklice or leaf fleas
    • Hatchlings prey on plant wasps, harmful beetles or moths
    • Large carpenter bees pollinate lamiaceae, borage, daisy and lepidoptera

    tips

    To encourage beneficial species in your garden, you should diversify it. The wasps come automatically when they find suitable food.

    frequently asked Questions

    Are there wasps that have blue wings?

    One species is often confused with wasps, hornets or bumblebees. The carpenter bee belongs to the real bee family, which, together with numerous black wasps, forms the suborder of the carpenter wasps. It is also called blue-black or violet-winged carpenter bee because of its striking wing coloration. Carpenter bees need rotten wood for nesting and have a high heat requirement. Since suitable habitats are disappearing, the species is on the early warning list of endangered species in Germany.

    Which black wasp builds bag-shaped hanging nests?

    Sceliphron species are predominantly native to tropical Africa and are known for their unusual nests. The females collect moist soil and clay to build their nests. They use the material to make a fist-sized nest consisting of several cells. These hang on plants, rocks or walls and are reminiscent of brown paper bags. It is not uncommon for people to carry the nests to other parts of the world if they are on the goods. This allowed some species to spread to the Mediterranean area.

    Do black wasps form colonies?

    Insects that form colonies are highly developed. There are a few families with this way of life among the wasps. These include ants, wasps and bees. State-forming wasps are recognizable by their striking coloration. All black wasps live solitarily as lone fighters. They pursue predatory or parasitic lifestyles and feed on mosquitoes, aphids, spiders and flies. Other species have specialized in a plant-based diet.

    Are there tiny black wasps that look like flies?

    Gall wasps are usually one to three millimeters and rarely eight millimeters in size. With this body size, the predominantly black colored banded wasps can easily be mistaken for small flies. These Legimmen place their eggs in plant tissue. The larvae trigger the typical growths in the leaf tissue, which become visible as plant galls. With this way of life, the insects represent an exception within the Legimmen. Gall wasps often live on oaks, maples or rose plants.

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Animals in the garden