I've recently had a conservatory added to the house. I was sitting in the conservatory, when I spotted a small, slim Wasp fly in through the open door and into a two or three mm hole in the kitchen door frame. This was the old outside door, but is now an internal door. I had freshly painted this door a few weeks ago & this hole wasn't there at the time. I saw the Wasp fly out of the hole & head back into the garden. It returned a few minutes later, when I managed to get these photos with the mobile. I don't have any books on Wasp ID, so I forwarded the photos to my mate Steve Morrison who is up on his Wasps. He has replied it is a Wall Mason Wasp, Ancistrocerus parietinus.
Looking it up on the BWARS website, it looks to be a relatively widespread species in England & Wales up to Yorkshire, with less frequent records in the far North of England & Scotland. June & July are most likely flying months with less frequent sightings in May & August. The BWARS website states it is a tube-dweller and often nests in the stems of bramble and elder. The Flowers visited are Sea-holly, Bramble, Hogweed and Thistles. There are certainly plenty of Brambles in the field next to my house.
Unfortunately, I was on Brownsea yesterday and the conservatory door was locked. Today, I've been in the conservatory with the door open, but I've not see the Wall Mason Wasp. I'm guessing it has given up & looked for a better nesting hole. A pity, as I wouldn't have objected sharing the old backdoor with the Wall Mason Wasp.
