Social Wasps of the UK

Join us for an engaging webinar that delves into the fascinating world of social wasps, members of the family Vespidae. These often-misunderstood insects play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance and are more than just a summer nuisance.

In this session, we’ll explore the common species of social wasps found in the UK and their complex social structures and behaviours. We'll highlight the critical role they play in controlling pest populations and pollination, and explain how the different species can be distinguished from one another.

At the end of the session, learners should feel more comfortable submitting records of the following species to iRecord:

• Median Wasp (Dolichovespula media)
• Norwegian Wasp (Dolichovespula norwegica)
• Saxon Wasp (Dolichovespula saxonica)
• Tree Wasp (Dolichovespula sylvestris)
• Austrian Cuckoo Wasp (Vespula austriaca)
• German Wasp (Vespula germanica)
• Red Wasp (Vespula rufa)
• Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
• European Hornet (Vespa crabro)
• Yellow-legged (Asian) Hornet (Vespa velutina)

This webinar is perfect for naturalists, entomologists, and anyone curious about the unsung heroes of the insect world. Whether you love them or fear them, you’ll leave with a newfound appreciation for these remarkable creatures.

The 90-minute event will consist of a 1-hour presentation followed by a Q&A with the tutor using questions provided by the live audience. The presentation will be recorded and made available following the event to those booked alongside a transcript of the Q&A and useful links.

entoLEARN Webinars

Our entoLEARN webinars focus on focus on groups of UK invertebrates, with subject specialists presenting aspects of the biology, ecology and behaviour of UK species.

This webinar is part of our Bees, Wasps, Ants & Sawflies series:

1. Bumblebees of the UK Part 1 took place in 2024 and explored “The Big 8” most common bumblebees occurring in the UK.
2. Bumblebees of the UK Part 2(Mon 20 Jan 2025) will focus on the rare and localised species of bumblebee in the UK.
3. Bumblebees of the UK Part 3 (Mon 10 Feb 2025) will focus on the cuckoo bumblebees and the two species of bumblebee that have recently gone extinct in the UK.
4. Social Wasps of the UK (Thu 12 Jun 2025) will focus on the social wasps (family Vespidae) found in the UK.

If you have missed a webinar and would like to purchase access to the recorded content, please email us at info@biologicalrecording.co.uk

Bees & Wasps Specialist: Dr Tony Madgwick

Dr Tony Madgwick is the London Natural History Society’s Recorder for Bees and Wasps. Tony’s mission is to support the appreciation, study and recording of London’s wild bee and wasp populations. To this end, he runs a number of events on sites across the capital, leading both formal surveys and informal “bee walks”. Tony has a number of other specialist interests linked to bees, pollination and pollinators, including insect cleptoparasites and parasitoids of bees, Hoverflies and Tachinid flies. Tony is a verifier on iRecord for Bee-fly Watch and the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society (BWARS).

Webinar Fees and Cancellation Policy

This webinar will be recorded and the presentation will be made available following the event to those booked alongside a transcript of the Q&A and useful links.

This event is unfunded and we rely on ticket fees to cover the costs of running the event.

1. entoLEARN Webinar Ticket - Ticket price is £10.

Ticket fees are non-refundable. They consist wholly of an administrative fee of £10, covering both Eventbrite fees and time spent by the Biological Recording Company processing the order.

This entoLEARN presentation is delivered by the Biological Recording Company.