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Mammoth Wasp, Corsica (1 Viewer)

T

thomasclark1985

Well-known member
Hi,

Can someone help me ID this wasp please? it was seen in Corsica, the closest I can get to an ID using my "a photographic guide to insects of southern Europe & the Mediterranean" is Scolia hortorum, although it's range doesn't cover Corsica, can somebody help to confirm or correct.

Many thanks,

Tom
 

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thomasclark1985 said:
Hi,

Can someone help me ID this wasp please? it was seen in Corsica, the closest I can get to an ID using my "a photographic guide to insects of southern Europe & the Mediterranean" is Scolia hortorum, although it's range doesn't cover Corsica, can somebody help to confirm or correct.

Many thanks,

Tom
Click to expand...

The answer to your question is in the attached paper :) Unfortunately I don't have the time needed to check it myself right now. I think there's 2-3 potential species showing that pattern, but probably only one in that specific area.
 

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Another few from Corsica

I think the first is a Sand Wasp. sp. I might be pushing my luck for an ID with this, it looks very similar to Ammophila pubescens & Ammophila sabulosa, although I think it'll end up in the "unable to ID" folder unless anyone can help?

The second, I have no idea and can't find anything like it in my guide - Could it be a Lacewing sp.?

Tom
 

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Thank you Rafael, it looks most like Scolia aenigmatica (117), unfortunately I can't find any info on it online saying its range!

Tom
 
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Scolia aenigmatica seems to occur only from Turkey eastwards to at least Pakistan. So, not the most likely contender.
The "Fauna Europaea" online is a useful tool to check for distributions (despite many omissions and a few mistakes). For example: https://fauna-eu.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/58b84e35-5d1a-4a42-83da-19e23123940e (check each species of the tree at the bottom of the page). The best source of info for which Scoliidae species you can expect to find in Corsica might be Berland (1925): Berland, L. 1925. Faune de France vol. 10. Hyménoptères vespiformes. 1 (Sphegidae, Pompilidae, Scoliidae, Mutillidae). Paris.
I think there's a PDF version of this available online somewhere (you can try and make a search). It should help you out with the digger wasp as well. Remember Hymenoptera (especially Aculeata) classification is in flux and many old names are no longer valid, so it's one more thing to check before coming up with a final ID. And it might not be possible from one photo (in some groups it's not). Still, a most fascinating group of insects.
The last photo shows a lacewing as you suggested.
 
stuartelsom said:
Hi Thomas,

This could be Scolia flavifrons. I'll try and dig some images out to compare.

Stu
Click to expand...

No, not Scolia flavifrons. As the name says, Scolia flavifrons (actually an old name for Megascolia maculata flavifrons, which is the current name) has a yellow head*; it also has yellow spots over tergites 2 and 3 of the abdomen, and the present species has yellow spots only on T3.

*only the females
 
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Thanks again Rafael, it might take me a while to figure this out then!

Hi Stu, thanks, is Scolia flavifrons the same species Megascolia maculata flavifrons, from what I can see online, I believe they are. My guide says they have 2 pairs yellow abdominal blotches though, so I'm not sure.

Cheers
 
I’ve managed to find a sentence containing “Discolia Schrenkii” and “Korsika”. It also looks similar, so that’s what I’m going for, for now!

But I stand to be corrected!

Thanks Rafael
 
thomasclark1985 said:
I’ve managed to find a sentence containing “Discolia Schrenkii” and “Korsika”. It also looks similar, so that’s what I’m going for, for now!

But I stand to be corrected!

Thanks Rafael
Click to expand...

Hmmm :) I think Scolia (Discolia) schrenkii is a Central Asian species (1)... Sorry for not being able to help any further but I just can't afford the time to do it properly atm.

(1): ref.
Distribution:Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan (Betrem, 1935; Osten, 2005a); newly recorded to Iraq.
Click to expand...
 
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No worries, thanks for the help Rafael, I can't afford the time to ID it at the moment too, especially if it means scanning a huge document written in German! But I will get there.....one day.

Cheers
 
Hi Tom/Rafael,

Yes, I think so. In old money it was Scolia, but I guess now it is more widely known as Megascolia, which given the huge size, seems appropriate.

Rafael, yes, you're quite right. Not flavifrons. Here's a presumed maculata from Sicily in 2012.

Stu
 
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Hi Tom,
I managed some time to look into this. Your wasps are Discolia hirta unifasciata, a subspecies restricted to Corsica, Sicily and Malta, characterized by a single yellow band over tergite 3, as in your photos.
This taxon was formerly known as Scolia unifasciata, and other synomyms are Scolia hirta unifasciata and Scolia (Discolia) hirta unifasciata. Berland (1925) mentions it on page 300, and Osten (2000) on page 547(no photo is included). Mystery solved. :)
 
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