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Wasps

The books are arranged by publication date with the most recent at the top.

For books about British bees and bumblebees see:

Bees
Bumblebees

For a series of atlases covering the bees, wasps and ants of Britain see:

Provisional Atlas of the Aculeate Hymenoptera of Britain and Ireland

The Banchine Wasps (Ichneumonidae: Banchinae) of the British Isles

J.P. Brock

Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects

Royal Entomological Society / Field Studies Council

2017

"This book covers the 138 British species in the subfamily Banchinae. It is based on a full taxonomic revision, including reference to the accessible type specimens. The classificatory procedure used here is predominantly 'utilitarian' in nature, since the primary objective is to render identification of banchine ichneumonids as simple as possible. Keys are given to all species - and those for Glypta, Lissonota, Cryptopimpla and Exetastes incorporate a full revisionary treatment. The creation of species groups has been necessary in the two very large genera Glypta and Lissonota - in particular, within the large subgenus Campocineta in Lissonota. A general introduction, species accounts and an account of all verified host relationships are also provided. Ten new species are described."

A Beginner's Guide To Identifying British Ichneumonids

Nicola Prehn and Chris Raper

2016

A online guide that covers 22 species of British ichneumonid wasps. This guide is (was) available online at British ichneumonid wasps.

Solitary Wasps

Peter F Yeo, Sarah A Corbet

Naturalists' Handbooks Volume 3

Pelagic Publishing

2nd edition (originally published in 1995)

2015

"This Naturalists' Handbook aims to attract more people to the study of solitary wasps by describing the ecology, distribution and natural history of these insects, including all relevant research in one convenient volume. Contents include an overview of the natural history of the solitary wasp, guidelines on identification, and advice on techniques and approaches to study. Further reading, a systematic checklist of genera and an alphabetical checklist of species and their distributions are included. Detailed keys to the identification of the species form the centre of the book and the text is accompanied by clear illustrations throughout, making this an invaluable practical guide for anyone seeking to broaden their knowledge of these fascinating, diverse creatures."

The Braconid and Ichneumonid Parasitoid Wasps: Biology, Systematics, Evolution and Ecology

Donald L.J. Quicke

2015

"The Ichneumonoidea is a vast and important superfamily of parasitic wasps, with some 60,000 described species and estimated numbers far higher, especially for small–bodied tropical taxa. The superfamily comprises two cosmopolitan families – Braconidae and Ichneumonidae – that have largely attracted separate groups of researchers, and this, to a considerable extent, has meant that understanding of their adaptive features has often been considered in isolation. This book considers both families, highlighting similarities and differences in their adaptations…..This new book also focuses on this superfamily with which the author has great familiarity and provides a detailed coverage of each subfamily, emphasising anatomy, taxonomy and systematics, biology, as well as pointing out the importance and research potential of each group. Fossil taxa are included and it also has sections on biogeography, global species richness, culturing and rearing and preparing specimens for taxonomic study."

A Provisional Atlas of the Bees, Wasps and Ants of Shropshire

Nigel Jones, Ian Cheeseborough

2014

"Based on approximately 14,000 records, covering over 300 species, this is the first ever published atlas of the bees, wasps and ants in Shropshire."

The Vespoid Wasps (Tiphiidae, Mutillidae, Sapygidae, Scoliidae and Vespidae) of the British Isles

M.E. Archer

Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects

Royal Entomological Society / Field Studies Council

2014

"A general introduction is provided to the natural history and external morphology for the following families of the Vespoidea: Tiphiidae, Mutillidae, Sapygidae, Scoliidae and Vespidae including the subfamilies Eumeninae, Polistinae and Vespinae. A checklist is given for the 45 species that have been recorded from the British Isles. Keys to the families, genera and species, together with diagnostic illustrations, are provided. Notes are given on the preparation of specimens for identification. Species profiles include information on British and overseas distribution, habitats, adult activity period, nesting characteristics, prey, host records and flowers visited."

Hymenoptera and Conservation

Tim R. New

2012

"This global overview, the first such account for the whole of the Hymenoptera, discusses a broad range of themes to introduce the insects and their conservation roles and needs, and how their wellbeing may be approached. The book is intended as a source of information for research workers, students, conservation managers and naturalists as an introduction to the importance of this dominant insect order."

British Hymenoptera: Glossary for Use with Identification Keys

Robin Williams

7th edition

2012

"This includes terms used for body parts in keys going from 1896 to the present day (some of which are still in use), as well as the more obscure adjectives used in descriptions. Of use to anyone interested in the whole field of Hymenoptera."

Bees, Wasps, and Ants: The Indispensable Role of Hymenoptera in Gardens

Eric Grissell

2010

"Few insects are more important than bees, wasps, and ants. They maintain the garden's biological balance, fertilize vegetables, fruits, and flowers, and recycle nutrients within the soil. It's no exaggeration to say that a garden can't be understood without an understanding of its insects. "Bees, Wasps, and Ants" explores the importance of the Hymenoptera and explains how gardeners can encourage (or discourage) them in the garden. Part One includes a summary of their biology and a tour of what role they play in each part of the garden. Part Two takes a closer look at the individual groups within the order, including sawflies, horntails, woodwasps, parasitic wasps, predatory wasps, bees, and ants."

Bees, Wasps and Ants of Kent

Geoff Allen

2009

"Contains 440 distribution maps and 7 composite maps for the 448 species of aculeate Hymenoptera recorded from Kent plotted from a database of approximately 55,000 records. All families are covered apart from the Dryinidae, Embolemidae and Bethylidae (an additional 22 species) for which a brief resume is given. The book developed as a result of the author acting as the county referee for this group of insects and compiling the first proper electronic database for Kent's aculeate Hymenoptera."

The Evolution of Social Wasps

James H. Hunt

2007

"The Evolution of Social Wasps resolves one of evolution's most intriguing problems - the origin of insect sociality. It also challenges conceptual approaches that have dominated three decades of social behaviour research. Hunt's innovative model integrates life history, nutrition, development and ecology. His broad synthesis of empirical knowledge on social wasps should interest evolution biologists, behavioural ecologists, or entomologists alike."

The Sand Wasps: Natural History and Behaviour

Howard E. Evans and Kevin M. O'Neill

2007

"Howard Evans was a brilliant ethologist and systematist for whom the joy of science included lying on his belly in some remote location, digging out and diagramming a wasp's nest. During his career, Evans described over 900 species and authored more than a dozen books, both technical and popular, on a wide range of entomological and natural history subjects. Upon his death in 2002, he left behind an unfinished manuscript, intended as an update (though not a revision) of his classic 1966 work, "The Comparative Ethology and Evolution of the Sand Wasps". Kevin O'Neill, Evans' former student and co-author, has completed and enlarged Evans' manuscript, to provide coverage of all sand-wasp tribes in Evan's earlier book. The result is a tribe-by-tribe, species by species review of studies of the Bembicinae that have appeared over the last four decades. "The Sand Wasps: Natural History and Behavior" already has been hailed by specialists as a new bible for those working on solitary wasps and an essential reference for scientists more broadly interested in insect behavioural evolution."

The British Potter and Mason Wasps: A Handbook

Michael E. Archer

2003

Solitary Wasps: Behaviour and Natural History

Kevin M. O'Neill

2000

"Kevin M. O'Neill provides readable yet thorough accounts of the natural history of the major families of solitary wasps and also surveys the current state of scientific research on these insects. Numerous comprehensive tables of quantitative data serve as an excellent reference for biologists. Topics covered include: classification of the solitary wasps and their relation to other Hymenoptera; foraging and nesting behaviors; mating and parental strategies; thermoregulation; natural enemies; defensive strategies; directions for future research. Solitary Wasps: Behavior and Natural History is the first general survey in more than 25 years to be dedicated to its subject and is the best place to turn for information about the biology and compelling behavior of these common insects."

Social Wasps

Peregrine Productions

1997

A 2 sided laminated guide to the eight species of Social wasps found in the UK.

Behaviour and Social Evolution of Wasps: The Communal Aggregation Hypothesis

Yosiaki Ito

2007

The Social Biology of Wasps

Editor: Kenneth G. Ross and Robert W. Matthews

1991

"A collection of 17 studies by an international group of scientists reviews recent research on the natural history, ecology, behavior, morphology, and genetics of wasps in relation to the evolution of modern wasp society."

A Review of the Scarce & Threatened Bees, Wasps & Ants of Great Britain

Steven J. Falk

1991

The Chrysidid Wasps of the World

Lynn S. Kimsey, Richard M. Bohart

1991

Bees, Ants and Wasps: A Key to Genera of the British Aculeates

Pat Willmer

1985

Solitary Wasps

Peter F Yeo, Sarah A Corbet

Naturalists' Handbooks Volume 3

Cambridge University Press

1983

"A guide to the solitary wasp. This book offers ideas for investigations and describes techniques. It includes identification keys to the British species, together with a one page field key and a guessing guide based on colour, prey type and nest type."

Provisional Atlas Insects British Isles Part 9: Wasps

Editor: M.E. Archer

Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

1979