Invertebrate Projects Officer Ben and Senior Conservation Officer John found the Aphanistes kluggi during a survey of the proposed Brookside Nature Reserve in Oswaldtwistle. 

Aphanistes kluggi is a parasitic wasp which has only been recorded a handful of times in Europe, with scattered sightings in southern Sweden, Norway and Denmark and in central and eastern Europe. Identifying them is a real science as there are literally tens of thousands of wasps, bees and ants in the world.

The new wasp is a long browny red specimen, perfectly evolved to hunt for aphids and other tiny animals, and to plant its eggs into host creatures such as moths.  

Ben said: “Many bees, wasps, ants and flies are not readily identifiable in the field, and many require a microscopic study to identify them. 

“During our surveys, I swept approximately 60 insects that were not field recognisable, and these were collected for inspection later. One of the parasitic wasps in the sample belonged to the Anomaloniinae sub family which are long-legged wasps with an elongated abdomen and a characteristic sculpture on the body. It also ran to the Aphanistes genus, which has a raised ridge between its antennae.” 

It took Ben and John three months to identify the insects they had caught, using books and online resources. They found records of three Aphanistes recorded in the UK, but the insect did not match the descriptions. They then found a match to an uncommon wasp, studied and described in a draft identification key by French specialist William Penigot. 

Ben continues: “It clearly matched Aphanistes kluggi which had never been recorded in the UK. This is a widespread but generally uncommon wasp in Europe and Asia, with just 39 records according to the only online resource available.” 

The appearance of the wasp in Oswaldtwistle did make sense though. Aphanistes kluggi is a specific parasite of the pine hawk-moth. Many parasitic wasps lay their eggs on, or in, host species such as moths (at the larval stage), which eventually kills the host, allowing the eggs to hatch. The pine hawk-moth is common in the south and east of England but has rapidly expanded northwards in recent years, usually attributed due to climate change. 

Ben said: “Clearly, the host is on the move, with 2024 sightings in Ainsdale and Southport. It is not unusual for the parasite of a host-specific species to be hot on the heels of that host.” 

Aphanistes kluggi is, like many wasps, a spectacular looking creature. It is a large insect with forewings up to 15mm in length and it can be more than three centimetres from its head to the end of its abdomen. Parasitic wasps like these are often called Darwin wasps, which is slightly easier than the Latin name. 

John said: “Finding new or rare species in our patch is always a great pleasure as it helps put Lancashire on the map as a place for people to come to look out for fauna, flora and fungi.  

“I remember the broadleaved and pine trees being planted at Brookside in the mid-2000s as part of the East Lancashire woodland project, Elwood. When I can, I will try and arrange for further site surveys to include wildlife other than birds and plants, because we just never know what may turn up, and someone may need to rewrite the books.  

“Ben did a great job spotting this parasitic wasp and then getting it identified. As anyone with an interest in natural history knows, wildlife is wonderful and keeps you on your toes”. 

Since our wasp was discovered, another UK specimen has been identified by Martin Elkins in Bristol in September 2024, so the increased territory of the pine hawk-moth seems to be having an effect.