Belonging to the species Pseudabispa bicolor, genus Pseudabispa is this Australian potter wasp, Pseudabispa bicolor ssp. nigrocinctoides. It is one of 4 subspecies.

Pseudabispa bicolor ssp. nigrocinctoides, Alice Springs, NT
Pseudabispa bicolor ssp. nigrocinctoides (Potter Wasp), Alice Springs, NT

A smallish potter wasp, this sub-species appear to have the distinct two colours of black and orange. Two-thirds of the antennae is black, with the other third being orange. It has a black head, orange and black abdomen, and tinted black wings.

There are currently 5 species of the genus Pseudabispa, that include:

  • Pseudabispa abispoides
  • Pseudabispa bicolor
  • Pseudabispa confusa
  • Pseudabispa ephippioides
  • Pseudabispa paragioides

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Pseudabispa bicolor ssp. nigrocinctoides (Potter Wasp), Alice Springs, NT
Pseudabispa bicolor ssp. nigrocinctoides (Potter Wasp), Alice Springs, NT

Many thanks to the members of iNaturalistAU for helping to ID this species.


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Hymenoptera
  • Superfamily: Vespoidea
  • Family: Vespidae
  • Subfamily: Eumeninae
  • Genus: Pseudabispa
  • Species: Pseudabispa bicolor
  • Subspecies: Pseudabispa bicolor infrasp. nigrocinctoides
Pseudabispa bicolor ssp. nigrocinctoides (Potter Wasp), Alice Springs, NT
Pseudabispa bicolor ssp. nigrocinctoides (Potter Wasp), Alice Springs, NT

Footnote & References

  1. Pseudabispa bicolor nigrocinctoides, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/da846a2e-dc67-4c6d-9ea8-bc7a2a1b230d
  2. Pseudabispa bicolor, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/638068-Pseudabispa-bicolor
  3. Pseudabispa bicolor ssp. nigrocinctoides, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/1361936-Pseudabispa-bicolor-nigrocinctoides

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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