Join this Group
Would you like to be a wasp watcher?
We are looking for nest sites for a ground-dwelling wasp (that does not sting humans) called Cerceris fumipennis. This insect can help us survey for the emerald ash borer. Female wasps provision their nests with metallic wood-boring beetles that they collect in trees that are near their nest sites. If the emerald ash borer is in the neighborhood of the wasp, she will collect the beetle. Observing the wasps helps us find the emerald ash borer. This survey technique, called biosurviellance, is another tool for tracking down potential emerald ash borer infestations. We are looking for colonies of these wasps throughout the state, and would like your help in identifying and monitoring nest sites.
To learn more:
Working with Cerceris fumipennis
Maine Forest Sevice Cerceris Page
If you’d like to help, contact:
Trish Hanson, FPR Forest Biology Lab
(802) 879-5687
Cerceris fumipennis with native buprestid prey.
Michael Bohne, USDA Forest Service
Datasheets for Wasp Watchers:
Paper Form for Potential New Wasp Sites (Use this form if you are looking for wasp nests in a new site.)
Paper Form for Existing Wasp Sites (Use this form each time you visit a known nest site or wasp "colony".)
Paper Form for Specimen Labels (Include these ready-to-cut labels for beetles you collect.)
Datasheets for Manager's Use:
List of Buprestid Beetles found in Vermont to Date
Photos of Selected Buprestid Beetles
