Animal Species:Diapriid wasps
If you see a very small fly that, on closer inspection, resembles an ant, it may be a diapriid wasp.
Identification
Diapriid wasps are common in gardens but can be tiny - the largest are no more than 6 mm long and the smallest only 1 mm long.
Size range
1 mm - 6 mm
Distribution
Diapriid wasps are found throughout Australia.
Habitat
Diapriid wasps live in urban areas, forests and woodlands, and wetlands.
Life cycle
Diapriid wasp specialise in parasitising fly pupae and prepupae. Most spend very little time flying as their hosts are usually somewhere on the ground. Some have very reduced wings or none at all and can be mistaken for ants.
Classification
- Family:
- Diapriidae
- Superfamily:
- Proctotrupoidea
- Suborder:
- Apocrita
- Order:
- Hymenoptera
- Class:
- Insecta
- Subphylum:
- Uniramia
- Phylum:
- Arthopoda
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
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Tags wasps, insects, arthropods, invertebrates, identification, wildlife of sydney,