#3529 · 🐝 bees, wasps & ants

Field digger wasp

🇳🇱 Gewone vliegendoder ·Mellinus arvensis

🐝 Bees, wasps & ants 📍 in the Netherlands

10 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

1. © Christian Sørensen · CC BY-NC 4.0
2. © Nigel Jones · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
3. © Mick Talbot · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
4. © gbohne · CC BY-SA 4.0
5. Heiloo, Nederland:© Joost . · CC BY-NC 4.0
6. 6102 Echt, Nederland:© Pierre · CC BY-NC 4.0
7. Nieuwe Niedorp, Netherlands:© thegreatdodo · CC BY-NC 4.0
8. Scherpenzeel, Nederland:© Rob C. H. M. Oudejans · CC BY-NC 4.0
9. Binnenweg 6, 2121 Bennebroek, Netherlands:© Milo "Bulle" van Loon · CC BY-NC 4.0
10. Zwolle:© flower_marit · CC BY-NC 4.0

what is it?

Mellinus arvensis , the field digger wasp , is a species of solitary wasp. The wasp can commonly be found from July to late September or October in sandy places. The female is larger than the male. The wasps' nests are underground in sandy burrows with flies for their offspring to eat. The species is yellow and black like many wasp species, but they have a more narrow waist.

base stats

NL sightings 202iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 4,983iNaturalist observations

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

Spotted 202 times in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: the #27 most seen of the bees, wasps & ants in NL.
4,983 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Scientifically named in 1758 (268 years ago).