The genus Paralastor are a very large Australian genus of potter wasps.

The genus Paralastor is a very large group of Australian “potter wasps”, who at the time of writing include 121 species.2 They vary in colour with some showing more yellow on their bodies, some with orange stripes and others that are predominately black in colour.

Paralastor sp. - Alice Springs, NT
Paralastor sp., Alice Springs, NT
Ruby (Meroglossa rubricata) and the wasp, Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Paralastor sp with Meroglossa rubricata, Midwest WA © Gary Taylor

The following Paralator wasp was on a flowering Viola/Pansy in an urban garden in Alice Springs, Northern Territory.

Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp, Alice Springs NT
Paralastor sp., Alice Springs, NT © Dorothy Latimer & © Ausemade Pty Ltd
  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Order: Hymenoptera
  • Family: Vespidae
  • Subfamily: Eumeninae
  • Genus: Paralastor
  • Species:
    1. Paralastor abnormis (Bingham, 1912)
    2. Paralastor aequifasciatus Perkins, 1914
    3. Paralastor alastoripennis (Saussure, 1853)
    4. Paralastor albifrons (Fabricius, 1775)
    5. Paralastor alexandriae Perkins, 1914
    6. Paralastor anostreptus Perkins, 1914
    7. Paralastor arenicola Perkins, 1914
    8. Paralastor argentifrons (Smith, 1857)
    9. Paralastor argyrias Perkins, 1914
    10. Paralastor aterrimus Turner, 1919
    11. Paralastor atripennis Perkins, 1914
    12. Paralastor aurocinctus (Guérin, 1831)
    13. Paralastor auster Perkins, 1914
    14. Paralastor australis (Saussure, 1853)
    15. Paralastor bicarinatus Perkins, 1914
    16. Paralastor bischoffi Giordani Soika, 1961
    17. Paralastor brisbanensis Perkins, 1914
    18. Paralastor brunneus (Saussure, 1856)
    19. Paralastor caprai Giordani Soika, 1977
    20. Paralastor carinatus (Smith, 1857)
    21. Paralastor clotho (Lepeletier, 1841)
    22. Paralastor clypeopunctatus Schulthess-Rechberg, 1925
    23. Paralastor commutatus Perkins, 1914
    24. Paralastor comptus Perkins, 1914
    25. Paralastor conspiciendus Perkins, 1914
    26. Paralastor conspicuus Perkins, 1914
    27. Paralastor constrictus Perkins, 1914
    28. Paralastor cruentatus (Saussure, 1867)
    29. Paralastor cruentus (Saussure, 1855)
    30. Paralastor darwinianus Perkins, 1914
    31. Paralastor debilis Perkins, 1914
    32. Paralastor debilitatus Perkins, 1914
    33. Paralastor dentiger Perkins, 1914
    34. Paralastor despectus Perkins, 1914
    35. Paralastor diabolicus Turner, 1919
    36. Paralastor diadema Rayment, 1954
    37. Paralastor donatus Perkins, 1914
    38. Paralastor dubiosus Perkins, 1914
    39. Paralastor dyscritias Perkins, 1914
    40. Paralastor elegans Perkins, 1914
    41. Paralastor emarginatus (Saussure, 1853)
    42. Paralastor eriurgus (Saussure, 1853)
    43. Paralastor euclidias Perkins, 1914
    44. Paralastor eugonias Perkins, 1914
    45. Paralastor eustomus Perkins, 1914
    46. Paralastor eutretus Perkins, 1914
    47. Paralastor fallax Perkins, 1914
    48. Paralastor flaviceps (Saussure, 1856)
    49. Paralastor frater Perkins, 1914
    50. Paralastor fraternus (Saussure, 1856)
    51. Paralastor habilis Perkins, 1914
    52. Paralastor hilaris Perkins, 1914
    53. Paralastor icarioides Perkins, 1914
    54. Paralastor ignotus Perkins, 1914
    55. Paralastor imitator Perkins, 1914
    56. Paralastor infernalis (Saussure, 1856)
    57. Paralastor infimus Perkins, 1914
    58. Paralastor insularis (Saussure, 1856)
    59. Paralastor lachesis (Saussure, 1853)
    60. Paralastor laetus Perkins, 1914
    61. Paralastor lateritius (Saussure, 1867)
    62. Paralastor leptias Perkins, 1914
    63. Paralastor mackayensis Perkins, 1914
    64. Paralastor maculiventris (Saussure, 1856)
    65. Paralastor medius Perkins, 1914
    66. Paralastor mesochlorus Perkins, 1914
    67. Paralastor microgonias Perkins, 1914
    68. Paralastor mimus Perkins, 1914
    69. Paralastor multicolor Perkins, 1914
    70. Paralastor mutabilis Perkins, 1914
    71. Paralastor nautarum (Saussure, 1856)
    72. Paralastor neglectus (Saussure, 1855)
    73. Paralastor neochromus Perkins, 1914
    74. Paralastor occidentalis Perkins, 1914
    75. Paralastor odynericornis Giordani Soika, 1961
    76. Paralastor odyneripennis Perkins, 1914
    77. Paralastor odyneroides Perkins, 1914
    78. Paralastor oloris Perkins, 1914
    79. Paralastor optabilis Perkins, 1914
    80. Paralastor ordinarius Perkins, 1914
    81. Paralastor orientalis Perkins, 1914
    82. Paralastor pallidus Perkins, 1914
    83. Paralastor parca (Saussure, 1853)
    84. Paralastor petiolatus Schulthess-Rechberg, 1925
    85. Paralastor picteti (Saussure, 1853)
    86. Paralastor placens Perkins, 1914
    87. Paralastor plebeius Perkins, 1914
    88. Paralastor princeps Perkins, 1914
    89. Paralastor pseudochromus Perkins, 1914
    90. Paralastor punctulatus (Saussure, 1853)
    91. Paralastor pusillus (Saussure, 1856)
    92. Paralastor roseotinctus Perkins, 1914
    93. Paralastor rubroviolaceus (Giordani Soika, 1941)
    94. Paralastor rufipes Perkins, 1914
    95. Paralastor sanguineus (Saussure, 1856)
    96. Paralastor saussurei Perkins, 1914
    97. Paralastor semirufus Schulthess-Rechberg, 1925
    98. Paralastor simillimus Perkins, 1914
    99. Paralastor simplex Perkins, 1914
    100. Paralastor simulator Perkins, 1914
    101. Paralastor smithii (Saussure, 1856)
    102. Paralastor solitarius Perkins, 1914
    103. Paralastor subhabilis Perkins, 1914
    104. Paralastor submersus Turner, 1919
    105. Paralastor subobscurus Perkins, 1914
    106. Paralastor suboloris Perkins, 1914
    107. Paralastor subplebeius Perkins, 1914
    108. Paralastor subpunctulatus Perkins, 1914
    109. Paralastor summus Perkins, 1914
    110. Paralastor synchromus Perkins, 1914
    111. Paralastor tasmaniensis (Saussure, 1853)
    112. Paralastor tricarinulatus Perkins, 1914
    113. Paralastor tricolor Perkins, 1914
    114. Paralastor tuberculatus (Saussure, 1853)
    115. Paralastor victor Giordani Soika, 1977
    116. Paralastor viduus Perkins, 1914
    117. Paralastor vulneratus (Saussure, 1856)
    118. Paralastor vulpinus (Saussure, 1856)
    119. Paralastor xanthochromus Perkins, 1914
    120. Paralastor xanthus Giordani Soika, 1977
    121. Paralastor xerophilus Perkins, 1914

Footnote & References

  1. Genus Paralastor, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/493237-Paralastor
  2. Paralastor, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paralastor (last visited Oct. 9, 2023)

WaspsWasps Index Australian Large Wasps Australian Mud Nest Wasps Mud Wasp Velvet Ants Abispa ephippium Acarozumia amaliae Aulacidae Australodynerus Bembix Bembicinae Bethylidae Blue Hairy Flower Wasp Braconidae Chrysididae Cryptocheilus bicolor (Orange Spider Wasp) Delta latreillei (Potter Wasp) Eumeninae Delta philantes Ferreola handschini (Orange-collared Spider Wasp) Flower Wasps Gasteruptiid Wasp Hairy Flower Wasps Isodontia (Grass-carrying Wasp) Lissopimpla excelsa (Orchid Dupe Wasp) Mutillidae Paralastor sp. Pseudabispa bicolor ssp. nigrocinctoides Radumeris radula (Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp) Radumeris tasmaniensis (Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp) Sceliphron laetum Thynnid Wasps Tiphiidae Torymus Yellow and Black Wasp

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