Types of Wasps in Australia
Australia is home to many kinds of insects, including wasps. There are various types of wasps that are indigenous to the region. Some are pests that are commonly seen, while others are not usually encountered by humans. Among all types, there are similarities and differences in regard to appearance and habitat.
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Blue Ant
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Not all wasps have wings, particularly the flower wasp species found in South Australia. All female flower wasps are wingless. The blue ant is a type of flower wasp, and true to its name, this wasp resembles an ant. The females are wingless with bluish-green bodies and red legs. The winged males are thinner and smaller, and have a more traditional wasp appearance. There are black and white spots on the male's abdomen. The blue ant kills other insects and uses the carcasses to lay eggs in, which is why they are labeled as parasitic wasps. Adults use nectar from plants as food. Female wasps can deliver a painful sting if disturbed, but people do not usually come in contact with this wasp often.
European Wasp
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The European wasp, also known as the German wasp, is a social insect native to southern Australia. It resembles a bee because of its black body and yellow markings. It has long, translucent wings, black antennae and yellow legs. This wasp is beneficial to the environment because it is a predator of other pest insects. Still, it is considered a common pest in Australia because of its tendency to sting and its disruption of the ecosystem.
European wasps form large colonies with a queen wasp as the focal point. The colonies build nests that are usually hidden in walls, roof or other obscure places. Each nest can contain thousands of wasps. If the nest is disturbed, the wasps will swarm out and attack aggressively. Each wasp can inflict multiple painful stings.
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English Wasp
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The English wasp is a social insect that is very similar to the European wasp. In comparison, it has a black body with yellow markings like the European wasp, except it has black dots on its back and face. Adult English wasps use nectar from flowers and fruit for food, but they feed their larvae dead insects. These wasps are considered social insects because they reside in large colonies. The colonies are created by a single queen wasp that builds a nest and lays eggs. After the eggs develop into young wasps, they further build and maintain the nest, as well as protect the queen. Each nest can eventually have 5,000 to 10,000 wasps. The English wasp is native to Victoria, Australia.
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References
- Photo Credit wasp image by Henryk Olszewski from Fotolia.com
