Taxonomy
Ammophila sabulosa
Distribution
Status
Conservation status
Not Assessed
Species Biology
Identification
- Body length: 14-24mm
- Very narrow, elongate body shape
- Primarily black in colour with the anterior end of the abdomen red-orange
- Could be confused with Podalonia affinis, but is more slender with a much longer petiole (the narrow 'waist' section of the abdomen). The two species are also not known to fly together in Ireland
Habitat
Restricted entirely to sandy dune systems in the Mullet peninsula in Co. Mayo. Sunny, sheltered sites with a southerly aspect are particularly favoured, although it can also be found on flatter, more exposed areas.
Flight period
Irish records have been from June and July, but it possibly flies from May-August here as it does in Britain.
Nesting biology
Nesting occurs either singly or in loose aggregations in partially stabilised sand in dune systems, sometimes at the base of Marram Grass (Ammophila arenaria). Individual burrows are dug several centimeters beneath the sand and usually one large moth caterpillar is deposited in each one. In Ireland, larvae of the Belted Beauty (Lycia zonaria) are particularly favoured. The female will seal the burrow entrance with small stones, rabbit droppings and debris between visits. She will lay an egg on each caterpillar, which will subsequently hatch and the wasp larvae will feed on the paralysed caterpillar before pupating and emerging the following year. Females will also occasionally invade the burrows of other member of their own species and steal deposited caterpillars or remove any existing eggs, replacing them with their own.
Flowers visited
Not known to visit flowers in Ireland.
Native region
Europe, Temperate Asia
Similar species
- Podalonia affinis (see above)
Distribution
World distribution(GBIF)
Temporal change
Records submitted to Data Centre in 2024
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How can you help
This species is only known to occur on the Mullet peninsula in Co. Mayo. It is possible that it also occurs in other dune sites along the western coast, but such sites have received little attention. Surveying suitable sandy sites would be useful to determine whether other populations exist.
References
Publications
Stelfox, A. W., & Stelfox, G. M. (1937). The Discovery of a Second Irish Species of Wasp Belonging to the Genus Sphex. The Irish Naturalists’ Journal, 6(10), 237–242. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25532725