Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp - Campsomeris tasmaniensis


Male body length 30mm

Those pictures in this web page were all males. Females look quite different, with board orange-yellow bands on abdomen.



There were a number (more than 10 at a time) of Hairy Flower Wasp flying around in our backyard from May to June 2007. They were flying very close on the lawn and following a circular figure 8 course. Some were waiting on leaves near by. By a short time of observation, we could not find out why they were there.



We suspected that there could be the females emerging from the ground and the males just waiting for the mating chance there. They are known to parasite on scarab larvae, includes the Brown Cockchafer larvae which also found under lawn in our backyard.



We thought that this is the Campsomeris radula. Graham Brown sent us email and advised that this should be the Campsomeris tasmaniensis, C. radula is the northern species.
Reference:
1. Campsomeris radula - Insects of Townsville, Australia, by Graeme Cocks, 2004.
2. Insects of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, pp 979.
3. Northern Territory Insects, A Comprehensive Guide CD - Graham Brown, 2009.

Family Scoliidae