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Family: Crabronidae
A small black wasp with a textured thorax and short antennae with creamy scape. Eyes were black. The thorax had a thin cream band along the anterior edge and similar bands were seen on at least three abdominal tergites. Legs were black with tinges of brown on the tarsi. Wings were tinted brown. Face could have had a pale frons. The wasp had what looked like a pupa in its grasp (pic 1). It can be seen flying away with it in pic 4.
Spotted flying and investigating leaves on a banksia rose bush.
My thanks to John La Salle for confirming this as a Crabronid wasp.
He says : This is Crabronidae..
"I know this is difficult to see and explain, but the pronotum (in your picture the thin cream band along the front of the thorax) in Crabronidae (and Sphecids and bees) is different from the other aculeate wasps.
In the former, the pronotum viewed from above is transverse, narrow, and widely separated from the tegula (a little pads at the base of the wing); in lateral view there is a nice, rounded lobe (cream in your specimen). In other stinging wasps (most notably the social and paper wasps) the pronotum in dorsal view curves back meet the tegula. Sorry if this is a bit too technical - but it is the best way to separate these groups out."
Spotted on Jan 9, 2017
Submitted on Jan 9, 2017
2 Comments
I like technical ! Especially when expertise like yours can pitch it to a level of understanding such as mine...
I even looked up "tegula",but could go no further with the information. So, thanks so much for your input John.
Hi Leuba
Yep, I would say definitely a Crabronidae.
I know this is difficult to see and explain, but the pronotum (in your picture the thin cream band along the front of the thorax) in Crabronidae (and Sphecids and bees) is different from the other aculeate wasps.
In the former, the pronotum viewed from above is transverse, narrow, and widely separated from the tegula (a little pads at the base of the wing); in lateral view there is a nice, rounded lobe (cream in your specimen). In other stinging wasps (most notably the social and paper wasps) the pronotum in dorsal view curves back meet the tegula. Sorry if this is a bit too technical - but it is the best way to separate these groups out.