Alice Springs Fauna •

Alice Springs WaspsAbispa ephippium Agriomyia maculata Bembicinae Bembix Blue Hairy Flower Wasp Cryptocheilus Cryptocheilus bicolor Delta latreillei Delta philantes Eumeninae Mud Nests and Potter Wasps Orchid Dupe Wasp Paralastor (Potter Wasp) Pseudabispa bicolor ssp. nigrocinctoides Sceliphron laetum Thynnid Flower Wasps Velvet Ant Family (Tribe Dasymutillini) Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp (Radumeris radula) Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp (Radumeris tasmaniensis)

— see Alice Springs Bees | Beetles | Insects

Australia is home to thousands of native species of wasps, with Alice Springs having their own share of beautiful wasps. Like bees, the wasps play a critical role in the environment with some wasps that feed on nectar (aiding in plant pollination), and others who are just as important, being predators and parasites and whose larvae feed on spiders, caterpillars and other insects.

Alice Springs and Central Australia also have a large variety of wasps species, that can be seen in the home garden, out and about in the parks, reserves and bushland. Places like the Olive Pink Botanic Garden and the Alice Springs Desert Park are places that you can find various wasp species.

Click on the images to go to information on the wasps.

Abispa ephippium (Mud-nest Wasp), Alice Springs NT
Mud-nest Wasp (Abispa ephippium)
Agriomyia maculata (Flower Wasp), Alice Springs NT
Flower Wasp (Agriomyia maculata)
Sand Wasp (subfamily Bembicinae), Alice Springs, NT
Sand Wasp (subfamily Bembicinae)
Genus Bembix (Sand Wasp), Alice Springs Desert Park NT
Sand Wasp (subfamily Bembicinae, genus Bembix)
Blue Hairy Flower Wasp (family Scoliidae, genus Austroscolia), Alice Springs NT
Blue Hairy Flower Wasp (genus Austroscolia)
Spider Wasp (genus Cryptocheilus, family Pompilidae), Alice Springs NT
Spider Wasp (genus Cryptocheilus)
Cryptocheilus bicolor with prey (Neosparassus sp), Alice Springs NT
Spider Wasp (Cryptocheilus bicolor)
Orange-tailed Potter Wasp (Delta latreillei), Alice Springs NT
Orange-tailed Potter Wasp (Delta latreillei)
Delta philantes - Wasp, Alice Springs NT
Delta philantes (genus Delta Wasps)
Eumeninae sp, Alice Springs, NT
Eumeninae sp (family Vespidae, subfamily Eumeninae)
Peek look at the larva in the mud nest of the Mud Wasp (Eumenes latreilli), Alice Springs, NT
Mud Nests and Potter Wasps (order Hymenoptera)
Orchid Dupe Wasp (Lissopimpla excelsa), Alice Springs NT
Orchid Dupe Wasp (Lissopimpla excelsa)
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor Potter Wasp (Paralastor sp / Eumeninae sp)
Pseudabispa bicolor ssp. nigrocinctoides, Alice Springs, NT
Pseudabispa bicolor ssp. nigrocinctoides (Potter Wasp)
Sceliphron laetum making the next cell in the mud nest, Alice Springs NT
Mud-dauber Wasp (Sceliphron laetum)
Genus Agriomyia (a member of Thynnid Flower Wasps Family Thynnidae), Alice Springs NT
Thynnid Flower Wasps (genus Agriomyia, family Thynnidae)
Greater Black Velvet Ant (Ephutomorpha formicaria), Alice Springs NT
Velvet Ant Family (tribe Dasymutillini)
Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp (Radumeris radula) on lemon blossoms, Alice Springs NT
Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp (Radumeris radula)
Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp (Radumeris tasmaniensis)
Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp (Radumeris tasmaniensis)
Sand Wasp (subfamily Bembicinae), Alice Springs, NT
Sand Wasp (subfamily Bembicinae), Alice Springs NT
Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp (Radumeris tasmaniensis)
Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp (Radumeris tasmaniensis), Alice Springs NT
Orange Potter Wasp species resting in the shade of a lemon tree
Orange-tailed Potter Wasps (Delta latreillei) and a Mud Wasp (Abispa ephippium)

More information in our Fauna section under Insects > Wasps | Wasps Index


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Hymenoptera
Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp (Radumeris radula) with black ants on lemon blossoms, Alice Springs NT
Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp (Radumeris radula) with black ants on lemon blossoms, Alice Springs NT

Alice Springs WaspsAbispa ephippium Agriomyia maculata Bembicinae Bembix Blue Hairy Flower Wasp Cryptocheilus Cryptocheilus bicolor Delta latreillei Delta philantes Eumeninae Mud Nests and Potter Wasps Orchid Dupe Wasp Paralastor (Potter Wasp) Pseudabispa bicolor ssp. nigrocinctoides Sceliphron laetum Thynnid Flower Wasps Velvet Ant Family (Tribe Dasymutillini) Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp (Radumeris radula) Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp (Radumeris tasmaniensis)

Alice Springs FaunaNative Bees Beetles Birds Gastropods (Gastropoda) Insects Marsupials Reptiles Spiders

Alice Springs FloraAlice Springs Flora Index Acacia ligulata Annual Yellowtop Apple Bush Bougainvillea Burdekin Plum Carob Tree (Ceratonia siliqa) Cattle Bush Desert Cotton (Aerva javanica) Desert Oak Eremophila Wildberry Feijoa sellowiana Flannel Cudweed Fork-leaf Corkwood Ghost Gum Golden Everlasting Kurrajong Lemon-flowered Gum MacDonnell’s Desert Fuchsia Native Bluebell Native Tomato Needlewood Olive Tree Perennial Yellow Top Rat’s Tail River Red Gum Inland River Red Gum Rosy Dock Round-leaved Mallee Scurvy Grass Silky Eremophila Stemodia viscosa Striped Mintbush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Weeping Bottlebrush White Cedar Yellow Billybutton Yellow-keeled Swainsona Yellow Oleander