- cross-posted to:
- environment@aussie.zone
- cross-posted to:
- environment@aussie.zone
My small bee hotel established in 2021 has been a hit with the local population, usually fully occupied. I see many different native resin, leaf cutter and a few carpenter bees around. Lately, I’ve been seeing more of these bees or wasps show up. I’m having a great deal of trouble identifying them. Can anyone help me? It has a distinctive round abdomen, single pale yellow ring, and a tail coming out of the torso.


I’m no expert, but because of the way the ovipositor curves around the abdomen, I’m guessing something in Leucospidae
Thank you! Was able to make an id in that family. I believe it is a Leucospis histrio ssp. vespoides. The recent conditions seem to be promoting them, or maybe they’re more plentiful while hunting out bee larvae as hosts.
It could be Leucospis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucospis) which are parasitic wasps that prey on solitary bees