Wasps

Wasps are closely related to Bees but tend to show much more diversity in body structure and behaviour. Whilst all Bees are plant feeders, many Wasps prey on other insect species, including spiders. The larvae of some species are highly-specialized parasites of termites and other pest species, and therefore play a significant role in controlling their numbers. Wasps are also important pollinators of plants - in fact, some plants have flowers which mimic the scent and appearance of a female wasp, dusting the male wasp with pollen in his attempts to mate with it!

Most Australian native wasps are not considered a major pest. As so often with insect pests, the major threat comes from introduced species, and of these the European Wasp is the best known and most troublesome.

European Wasp

European Wasps were unknown in Australia before 1959, when they were first detected in Tasmania. By the late 1970's they had spread to all parts of temperate Southern Australia, and large-scale attempts at eradication have failed. The European Wasp seems here to stay, but fortunately despite its media-inspired image as a 'killer wasp', no deaths in Australia have been attributed to its sting, though severe allegric reactions are not unknown.

Like bees, European wasps are swarming insects and are very aggressive defenders of their nest. Unlike bees however, they are capable of inflicting multiple stings which are very painful. They are also able to mark their victim with an 'alarm' hormone, attracting other wasps to the attack site. Although they prey on other insects, they are attracted by sweet substances such as sugar, soft drinks and ripening fruit, and prefer to live near places of human habitation where these are easy to find. Because of their attraction to sugars they often find their way into open soft-drink containers outdoors, and for this reason one should never drink directly from a can or bottle which has been outdoors. They also tend to cause problems in orchards, both from their stinging habits andthe damage they cause to fruit.

These insects live both in the ground and in papery nests in concealed places. Children may be attracted by these unusually shaped nests, but under no circumstances should they be approached without protective equipment, and any nest found should be destroyed by a pest control professional as soon as possible.

Hover Fly

Sometimes mistaken for wasps, Hover Flies are in fact unrelated to true wasps and are close relatives of the common house fly. It is believed that they have evolved their physical resemblance to wasps as a form of protection against predators, and they are a completely harmless and in fact quite useful insect.

Often appearing in large numbers during warmer weather, many species feed on nectar from flowers while others prey on pest insects such as aphids. They are stingless creatures which pose no threat to humans.

Compare this wasp with the European Wasp also shown on this page and its essentially fly-like appearence, particularly in the shape of its head, becomes much more readily apparent.

Mud Wasp

Despite their sometimes large size (up to 40mm long) and often rather frightening appearance, Mud Wasps, such as the Dauber Wasp shown here, are harmless and most rarely sting unless provoked. Many species are useful in that they pararasitize pest insect species such as locusts, paralysing them and carrying them back to the nest as food for their larvae.

They tend to be solitary creatures, constructing their nests from mud gathered at the edges of ponds and puddles in which they seal their grubs along with an insect food source such as a grasshopper or spider. Some species prefer to take over the nest of their prey, while most build their own, often on the walls or under the eaves of buildings.

Ichneumon Wasp

Big, fierce-looking and often distinguished by the very large 'stinger' on its abdomen, the Ichneumon Wasp, of which there are many varieties, is a solitary and generally quite harmless insect, though it can be quite frightening to have one trapped inside your home as sometimes happens! Shown here is a common Australian species.

The 'stinger' is in fact an ovipositor, an egg-laying apparatus and not a weapon. Ichneumon wasps are parasitic on other insect species and use this to lay their eggs deep inside the nests of their host insect. Some Ichneumon wasps restrict themselves to just one type of host while others are less fussy, but all are considered quite beneficial as enemies of pest species.