Species
Radumeris tasmaniensis
Threats Status
Unwanted Organism
Common Name(s)
Scoliid wasp, yellow flower wasp
Family
Scoliidae
Habitat
These wasps are native to Australia and Papua New Guinea and parasitise the larvae of
scarab beetles.
Description
This species of wasp is an ectoparasitic (it lives on the outside of its host) and is solitary in nature. The female yellow flower wasps are easily identified due to their large size - up to 30mm long. They have a wingspan of up to 40mm. Females have a dark brown thorax, a narrow ‘waist’ and the broad abdomen is orange with narrow black stripes across its width. The underside of the abdomen has wider black stripes, alternating with narrower whitish stripes. Males have a narrower abdomen with alternating black and yellow stripes of similar width on the upper and lower surfaces. The female has short antennae about the same length as the width of the head; the male has longer antennae, about half the length of the forewings. Both male and female have orange to brownish wings, with very fine veins towards the wing tips
Similar Species
There are four other introduced wasp species in New Zealand, the common wasp (Vespula vulgaris), German wasp (V. germanica), Australian paper wasp (Polistes hummulis) and the Asian paper wasp (P. chinensis). See factsheets for those species for more information. Other similar species include: Campsomeris limosa, Campsomeris plumipes fossulana, Scolia affinlis, Scolia atrata, Scolia dubia, Scolia flavifrons, Scolia manilae
Threat To Plants
Adult wasps feed on nectar and honeydew
Distribution
Northland, North Herekino Head, Cape Maria van Diemen (Whareana Bay), south of North Cape
Measurements
30 mm long, wingspan - up to 40 mm
Year Introduced
February 2000