Saving the small things that run the planet
Ridge-saddled Spider-wasp
Fast Facts
Latin name: Cryptocheilus notatus
Notable feature: Mostly black with a red abdomen. Curly antennae.
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
Where in the UK: Modern records are generally confined to South West England and Hampshire. Can also be found in Berkshire on sandy soils.
Ridge-saddled Spider-wasp (Cryptocheilus notatus) © Phill Robinson (CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist)
The Ridge-saddled Spider Wasp (Cryptocheilus notatus) is one of our largest spider hunting wasps.
Whilst currently found in South West England, historically they were also recorded in the South East. This wasp uses a variety of habitats, such as unimproved cliff tops, sandy heathland and sandpits.
- Size: 18mm.
- Life span: Adults on the wing for 5 months.
- Diet: As an adult: Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa), Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium).
- Reproduction: This species uses existing cavities to nest in, such as rodent burrows. The female will capture large spiders like labyrinth spiders and house spiders to provision her young. The spiders are paralysed with a sting and the wasp young eat their least vital organs first, so the spiders remain alive and therefore fresh.
- When to see: May to September.
- Population Trend: Declining generally but perhaps increasing in Dorset.
- Threats: Habitat loss.
- Interesting Fact: This Ridge-saddled Spider-wasp will also use her nest burrows to shelter during bad weather and at night.
Buglife is helping the recovery of populations of Ridge-saddled Spider-wasp and other wildlife via our projects and campaigns, including Kernow Wyls – People for Pollinators, Solitary Bee Week and B-Lines, but we need your help!
Buglife B-Lines are an imaginative and beautiful solution to the problem of the loss of flowers and pollinators. B-Lines are a series of ‘insect pathways’ running through our countryside and towns, along which we are restoring and creating a series of wildflower-rich habitat stepping stones. Linking existing wildlife areas together, creating a network, like a railway, that will weave across the UK landscape. More information about B-Lines and how you can help pollinators can be found here.
Join a recording scheme and log your finds – send any records/sightings to BWARS or download the iRecord app and get recording!
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