Scarab Wasp
S1, Female: profile
Scarab Wasp
S1, Female: Emarginate Eye
| Scarab Wasp S1, Female: profile | | Scarab Wasp S1, Female: Emarginate Eye | | ||
 | Class: | Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Insects (Insecta) | |||
| Order: | Ant Bee Wasps (Hymenoptera) | ||||
| Family: | Hairy Flower Wasp (Wasp: Scoliidae) iNaturalist Observation | ||||
| Species: | Scarab Wasp (Campsomerinae sp) | ||||
| This Photo: | 🔍S2, Male: profile🔎 | ||||
General Species Information: Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA) and elsewhere Male ~18mm & female ~23mm long. These are very similar to Radumeris tasmaniensis, also found on Ellura, but these have a 3rd sub-margin cell (on their forewing) that R. tasmaniensis doesn't have. Also notice that R. tasmaniensis has a black inner margin on the forewing, different ventral pattern & a black spot on the male's face. We've been lucky enough to find a male & a female, showing how different they both are. They may be different species, but the 3rd sub-marginal cell seems so rare, it's a reasonable assumption they are the same species. Trisciloa sp are the only Australian Scoliid wasps we can find with 3 sub-marginal cells, so this may be in that genus. But it does look quite different to the only recognised species in that genus, which is found in Northern Australia. Notice the long rear leg spine on the female is the same here. As such, we think this is an undescribed species in that genus. These feed on pollen as adults, but the female lays an egg in Scarab Beetles that the young parasitises. We've photographed 2 specimens in Oct & Nov. Their active period then overlaps with, but slightly earlier (before summer), than Radumeris tasmaniensis. Similar Species: Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp (Radumeris tasmaniensis) | |||||
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