#thynnidae

[addicted2wasps]

And DONE! Female Diamma bicolor, a Thynnid wasp from Australia! Drawn with coloured pencils.

[creatureimages]

big gorgeous thynnid flower wasp from the swamp. you'd think something this big and distinctive would be identifiable, wouldn't you

[herpsandbirds]

Blue Ant (Diamma bicolor), Bttm & mid - females, Top - male, family Thynnidae, Australia

Females are wingless.

photographs: Me and Moxxie, fir0002, Russell Best

[onenicebugperday]

From The Green Planet on BBC Earth:

A male Thynnid flower wasp attempts to mate with a hammer orchid. The hammer orchid’s scent mimics female Thynnid wasp pheromones, fooling male wasps into pollinating the flowers.

[rattyexplores]

Currently unidentified.

Unknown, Thynnidae

01/06/22

[drhoz]

#1703 to 1708 - Tiphiid Wasps

Given I’ve just discussed orchids that are pollinated by deluded male Tiphiid wasps, here’s a few of the wasps. Unsurprisingly, since the last few months are peak wasp-orchid and general wildflower season here in WA, there’s a lot of the Tiphiid Flower wasps about - at least 5 and more likely 6 different species in these photos. Actually telling you which species these are, on the other hand, is a different matter entirely, not least because the taxonomy of the family is desperately in need of revision. There’s ongoing argument about whether a lot of them should be split off into the Thynnidae.

Flower Wasps are solitary wasps that usually parasitise beetle larvae, most often scarabs. The females are wingless, and climb to the top of grass stems to wait for a male to find them, then cling to him with their massive jaws until they can lock their genetalia together. The only food she’ll eat as an adult is nectar she can sip as she’s carried around, or more likely nectar he’s gorged on and passed through his body, which is what the ones doubled back underneath are doing. Then she’ll drop off and dig back into the ground seeking a beetle grub or mole cricket to paralyse and parasitise. 

[addicted2wasps]

32 of 50. While I did mention in my last post that I would be drawing Lestica clypeata, rest assured that it will be included in this list! I just couldn't resist drawing a beautiful male of Thynnus pulchralis. This species is very sexually dimorphic, with the female being completely apterous. It is native to Australia. When I first saw a picture of the male, I couldn't figure out what it was, and almost thought it was a strange bee! With the help of google lens, it led me to finding out that this is a member of the family Thynnidae. I had seen pictures of the females before, but never a male until recently.

[addicted2wasps]

Males of Myzinum (Thynnidae) have what is called a pseudostinger. It does not deliver venom, but it is quite pointy. It is pretty painless, in my experience, however. Quite a cool feature! I saw a bunch of them nectaring on goldenrod this past weekend.