European Wasps
The European Wasp is easily distinguished from native wasps by its vivid yellow and black markings. European Wasps are a stout wasp with a bright yellow and black banded abdomen, and a pair of black spots on each yellow band. They have two pairs ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Spider Wasps
Spider Wasps (family Pompilidae) are solitary wasps which prey on spiders to feed their larvae, or parasitise other spider wasps. The females can sting with their ovipositors, but they do not form colonies to defend nests and are not aggressive. ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Paper Wasps
Native paper wasps are smaller than European Wasps, and lack their vivid yellow markings. Native paper wasps are smaller than European Wasps, and lack their vivid yellow markings. They tend to only be aggressive when defending their nests, and ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Citrus Gall Wasp
Lumpy growths on young leaf stems, leaf mid-ribs and fruit stalks of citrus trees are caused by a pest called the citrus gall wasp (Bruchophagus fellis). All citrus trees are attacked, but grapefruit and rough lemons are the most susceptible. The ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Apis mellifera
Like the European Wasp, the Honey Bee is an introduced social insect. Bees belong to the insect Order Hymenoptera, which includes wasps, ants and sawflies. In Australia there are four main bee families: Apidae, Colletidae, Halictidae and ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Australian Cicada Killer Wasp
Cicada Killer Wasps are medium to large wasps that share many behavioural and physical characteristics with Spider Wasps. Medium to large orange and dark brown wasps. Nest singly in holes in ground. The adult wasps feed on nectar, but the larvae ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Flower Wasps
Flower wasps are large solitary wasps, often with bright colours or a metallic appearance. Adult wasps are nectar feeders. They are often seen moving between flowers in mid- to late summer and they play an important role in pollinating native plants. [... more]
Australian Museum |
Queensland Museum - Sections - Insects
The Entomology Section documents this most numerous and diverse part of Queensland's fauna. There are over 500 000 specimens with important collections of rainforest insects and parasitic wasps. Research Biodiversity Cultures and Histories ... [... more]
qm.qld.gov.au |
Mud Dauber Wasps
Mud daubers are large, solitary wasps. The females collect mud and use it to construct nests or brood chambers, which can often be seen attached to buildings or under the eaves of houses. They are bottle shaped with a tunnel entrance, and look ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
What are the differences between flies and wasps?
Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between flies and wasps at first glance. Both flies and wasps are winged, they both tend to 'buzz' around in the garden, and sometimes in the house, and some species can cause irritation by biting or ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Spiders that mimic ants
Several groups of spiders have evolved to look and behave like various species of ants. This is known as mimicry. There are also spiders that mimic other insects such as flies and wasps. Most spider mimics belong to a few families of Hunting ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Paper Wasps
There aren't that many dangerous insects compared with the thousands of harmless and useful ones but among those which are aggressive are Australia's native paper wasps. There are two kinds of paper wasp, both being fairly common in most parts of ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
