Rare wasp found in Black Hill Conservation Park
Ben Parslow | Published on 12/31/2024
Dr Ben Parslow from the South Australian Museum recently reported this rare find following a permit authorised field collection.
I wanted to share an exciting collection from the foray to Black Hill CP yesterday. Blair found a little wasp on the OUTSIDE OF HIS NET, we were able to catch it before it flew to far.
Turns out it is a wasp called Austronia rubrithorax. This species belongs to the family Austroniidae which is endemic to Australia and very rare! Nothing is known about their biology and they are usually collected in wet forests in Eastern Melbourne and Tasmania.
This looks like only the second record of the species from South Australia (the other was collected in 1968).
Excellent job team! A significant collection!
Dr Ben Parslow
Collection Manager | Terrestrial invertebrates | South Australian Museum
Affiliate Associate Lecturer | School of Biological Sciences | University of Adelaide