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Predatory wasp of (we think), the the Melaleuca defoliating sawfly, Lophyrotoma zonalis (Rohwer)
Australian Paperbark Tree (Melaleuca) - South East Queensland
Spotted on Jun 9, 2012
Submitted on Mar 9, 2013
4 Comments
thank you John - these wasps were on only two trees, in a string of paperbarks that line a nearby street. The trees are also pocked with the bore holes of the insects they are after.
Parasitic wasp in the family Ichneumonidae
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichneumonid...
Very cool that there are two of them side by side like that.
Looks like it is probing with its ovipositor (egg laying tube) - looking for a host down under the bark or burrowing in the wood.
thank you Shanna
Stunning shots! Welcome to Project Noah, Jan! : )