Mating flower wasps on wallaby grass seed head
There are about 750 species in the flower wasp family Tiphiidae. These insects are found in most parts of Australia. Many species of Tiphiidae have wingless females and winged males. Mating often occurs in flight and it is common to see male wasps carrying female wasps to food plants. In some species the male wasps actually feed nectar to females. Female flower wasps have powerful stings but they are not aggressive. Most female flower wasps have powerful legs modified for digging in the soil where they parasitise beetle larvae and other soil insects such as mole crickets. As adults they do no harm as they are nectar feeders and their activities around flowers will help with pollination.
Size: 5107px × 3398px
Location: Pomonal, Victoria, Australia
Photo credit: © Denis Crawford / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: australia, beneficial, female, hymenoptera, insect, macro, male, mating, parasite, reproduction, seed, tiphiidae, wasps, winged, wingless
