Metallic-blue Chalcid Wasp
Dorsal, Wings Closed
Metallic-blue Chalcid Wasp
Ovi-positor, profile
| Metallic-blue Chalcid Wasp Dorsal, Wings Closed | | Metallic-blue Chalcid Wasp Ovi-positor, profile | | ||
 | Class: | Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Insects (Insecta) | |||
| Order: | Ant Bee Wasps (Hymenoptera) | ||||
| Family: | Parasitic Wasp (Wasp: Chalcidoidea: Leucospidae) iNaturalist Observation | ||||
| Species: | Metallic-blue Chalcid Wasp (Leucospis morawitzi) | ||||
| This Photo: | 🔍Profile🔎 | ||||
| Other name: | Chalcidiod Wasp | ||||
Thank you (ChalcidJyY) for identifying and Dan Blamey for helping with the id of this species for us General Species Information: Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA) and elsewhere 1st Record of this genus in SA on Atlas (when we published): 2 females were found together ~8mm & ~9mm, a visibly noticable size difference. The following year a 3rd was found closer to 10mm. On-line photo's of the male looks very similar, regognisable as the same species. Superficially look like potter wasps, but with thick abdomens; which are similar to sawflies. Very large rear legs, so a Chalcidid Wasp Notice how generally they hold their wings vertically; normally a diagnostic for Vespidae potter wasps. But vespidae "fold" their wings, note here their wings are "rolled". A subtle but important difference. The most obvious charactieristic on close examination is the ovi-positor laying flat along the TOP of the abdomen! It even has a little parking pozzy on the thick waist to protect it. This is the sheath, they still inject their prey from underneath. It's covered in thick, white hairs/setae; including it's eyes. Is also covered in punctuations and has a blue-metallic sheen everywhere the orange splashes aren't. We haven't found this colour pattern anywhere on-line. Others in the genus do tend to be a mix of orange & black/blue.The ocelli & rear leg spines are diagnostic to separate species. Also noticed some spines eminating from the rear of the thorax. (ChalcidJyY) said "Black with metallic tinge and orange marks. Species recognizable by the unique mesoscutellum sculpture (median line with extremely fine punctuation and coarse punctuation on side), flat mesoscutellum, beautiful metallic tinge, position and size of orange marks (especially on scutellum, two large spots uniting in the middle)" | |||||
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