Ruby-tailed Wasp

Appearance

Chrysidids differ from other Aculeate wasps in their reduction of the number of external body segments, the presence of 11 antennal articles, and wing veins enclosing 5 cells." Chrysis ignita" is the most common of a group of very similar ruby-tailed wasps. The head and thorax range from a shinny green to blue, sometimes layered with a golden sheen. The abdomen, a deep ruby color, is its most distinctive feature. The exoskeleton sculpture appears textured, like a golf ball, with dimples, projections, crests, and holes ranging from micrometric to millimetric in size.

Distribution

"Chrysis ignita "can be found throughout England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, excluding the Orkney and Shetland Islands. Sightings have also been documented on the Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, the isles of Scilly, and the Channel Islands. Other experts record that" Chrysis ignita" can be found throughout the Palaearctic, spanning Europe, Britain, Germany, Canarie, Italy, Algeria, URSS, and Japan. Their habitats overlap with the host wasps they parasitize, and thus they can be found near walls, quarries, bare cliff faces, and around dead wood in sunny places. Since Chrysidids are solitary wasps whose lives are linked to and dependent on their hosts, they live in strict microhabitats. These microhabitats can be further categorized as places of rest and of parasitic activity. The environments in which they are found facilitate their identification and are often characterized by flowers, arid and sandy soil, old wood exposed to sunlight, pebbles, and aphid infested plants.

Habitat

"Chrysis ignita "can be found throughout England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, excluding the Orkney and Shetland Islands. Sightings have also been documented on the Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, the isles of Scilly, and the Channel Islands. Other experts record that" Chrysis ignita" can be found throughout the Palaearctic, spanning Europe, Britain, Germany, Canarie, Italy, Algeria, URSS, and Japan. Their habitats overlap with the host wasps they parasitize, and thus they can be found near walls, quarries, bare cliff faces, and around dead wood in sunny places. Since Chrysidids are solitary wasps whose lives are linked to and dependent on their hosts, they live in strict microhabitats. These microhabitats can be further categorized as places of rest and of parasitic activity. The environments in which they are found facilitate their identification and are often characterized by flowers, arid and sandy soil, old wood exposed to sunlight, pebbles, and aphid infested plants.