Australian Cuckoo Wasp

bugman

January 11th, 2006 at 1:00 am

Tags

Strange flying insect
Hi!
Your site is incredible, I’m enjoying it immensely. While I don’t normally have trouble identifying the bugs I find, this one’s really stumping me. It flew into my office here in Brisbane, Australia, and most closely resembles a wasp. It had large wasp-like mandibles, and held its wings like a wasp, but the colour was breathtaking. This irridescent green would turn blue depending on the light, and after taking several photos I let him go and it was like watching a sapphire soar into the sky. If you could help identify it I’d be very happy. I have images of more Australian insects here:
http://nfg.2y.net/system/gallery/index.php?list=7
Thanks,
Lawrence.

Hi Lawrence,
Your beauty is a Cuckoo Wasp, in the family Chrysididae. Cuckoo Wasps get their name because they parasitize the nests of other wasps and do not build their own nest.

Cuckoo Wasp (August 14, 2005)
Cuckoo Wasp (June 3, 2005)
Cuckoo Wasp (August 7, 2006)
Cuckoo Wasp (June 1, 2006)
Cuckoo Wasp from Australia (February 19, 2007)