Unverified

Can you identify this sighting?

Unverified at suppressed - suppressed
Unverified at suppressed - suppressed
Unverified at suppressed - suppressed
Unverified at suppressed - suppressed
Unverified at suppressed - suppressed
Request use of media

Identification history

Unverified 10 Sep 2025 MazzV

Identify this sighting


Please Login or Register to identify this sighting.

User's notes

These fine, lithe, predominently black, and rapidly mobile wasps(?) are, (to me), both fascinating, and very challenging to photograph! Photo 1 shows the delicate and distinctive shape of 2 of them, in silhouette, headed to a constructed bee & wasp nesting box of hollow rods. They either make or invade nests of mud. They move so quickly (& are very shy) I have not been able to observe if they bring mud to construct their own. Their shape makes me think of a kangaroo with wings, the upper rear part of the silhouette is possibly the abdomen with what looks like it has 1 or 2 (photo 5) very fine spike(s) emanating from it (?ovipositor???); the lower hanging part I’m assuming are the legs, which also end in white; (photo 3 seems to show the sheen of short wings between the upper and lower dangly bits of the body). Photo 3 also helps in visualizing the 3 or 4 white marks on the body, (refer also photo 2). The white marks are under the ‘chin’, 1 thin band of white on the lowest hanging part of the body which I suspect are its legs and which also end in white; and possibly the butt of the abdomen (not sure of this, ?trick of light in photo 4??); It may also be that the end section of the, (assumedly), ovipositor ends in white (photo 2 may be depicting). As said these fascinating creatures move so fast, photo clarity is enough of a challenge, let alone trying to take in any detail in vitro!! I’d love to know more about them.

1 comment

KylieWaldon wrote:
   11 Sep 2025
?Gasteruptiidae (Family) Gasterupiidae family - parasitic wasps maybe

Please Login or Register to comment.

Sighting information

Additional information

  • 5mm to 12mm Animal size
  • True Nest present

Record quality

  • Images or audio
  • More than one media file
  • Verified by an expert moderator
  • Nearby sighting(s) of same species
  • GPS evidence of location
  • Description
  • Additional attributes
827,780 sightings of 23,517 species from 15,142 members
CCA 3.0 | privacy
NatureMapr is developed by at3am IT Pty Ltd and is proudly Australian made