Fen Mason-wasp Odynerus simillimus
The Fen Mason-wasp (Odynerus simillimus) is one of Britain’s rarest solitary wasps, associated with open, wet fen habitats where it nests in the hollow stems of plants and hunts small moth larvae as prey for its young. Nationally very scarce, it is largely confined to East Anglian fen systems, and Suffolk’s Waveney Valley and coastal fen habitats place the county at the heart of its British range. Like many specialist fen invertebrates, it is sensitive to habitat loss, inappropriate management, and hydrological changes. Maintaining an open, traditionally managed fen with abundant hollow-stemmed plants and a diverse array of invertebrate prey is essential for sustaining this inconspicuous yet ecologically significant species. Image: © Bogdan V. Kryzhatyuk, iNaturalist.
Find out more: iNaturalist, Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society
Suffolk’s Priority Ant, Bee and Wasp Species
Key
Listed as a conservation priority in Suffolk’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
Closely associated with Suffolk’s landscape and natural identity.
Identified as a key priority for recovery under Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Has a Species of the Month article attached.
