Black & Yellow Flower Wasp
Dorsal
Ellura
Two-coloured Flower Wasp
Profile
 
                      
Two-coloured Flower Wasp (Aeolothynnus cf sp ES04)Class: Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Insects (Insecta)
Order: Ant Bee Wasps (Hymenoptera)
Family: Flower Wasp (Wasp: Thynnidae: Thynninae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Two-coloured Flower Wasp (Aeolothynnus cf sp ES04)
This Photo:     Dorsal

Thank you Dr Graham Brown for confirming the id of this species for us

General Species Information:
Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA) and elsewhere
A small wasp of ~7mm.
Normally we wouldn't associate this with a flower wasp, but it's head & body markings are quite similar to the other Aeolothynnus we've seen.
Superficially it looks quite shiny, but closer inspection shows fine hairs all over the body. And those green eyes.
Note the antennae has a wavy appearance; seen on the ventral shot.
It appears it has an ovi-positor (but aren't sure) & wings; indicating it's female and so not in the Thynninae sub-family. As such, our Aeolothynnus id is quite suspect.
Note also the white spots on the side of the abdomen.
Graham said if it "was a little smaller, it might not be" Aeolothynnus. When we suggested it was a bit Braconid'ish, he said "too many wing veins for braconids and if anything, they would resemble ichneumonids with the spotted abdomen (and I think nothing else has paired spots), and thynnids have typical aculeate wing venation." Thanks Graham, very useful comments to help separate wasp families

Copyright © 2018-2024 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 04-Apr-2018
This species is an Australian Native Species, not listed in the SA Murray Mallee Survey of 2010.