Diapriid wasps
Click to enlarge image
Diapriirae - CBCR Pilbara Biodiversity Project Coleoptera voucher specimens
Image: Scott Ginn
© Australian Museum
© Australian Museum
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Family
- Diapriidae
- Super Family
- Proctotrupoidea
- Suborder
- Apocrita
- Order
- Hymenoptera
- Class
- Insecta
- Subphylum
- Uniramia
- Phylum
- Arthopoda
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- 1 mm - 6 mm
Introduction
If you see a very small fly that, on closer inspection, resembles an ant, it may be a diapriid wasp.
Identification
Diapriid wasps are common in gardens but can be tiny - the largest are no more than 6 mm long and the smallest only 1 mm long.
Habitat
Diapriid wasps live in urban areas, forests and woodlands, and wetlands.
Distribution
Diapriid wasps are found throughout Australia.
Distribution data sourced from the Atlas of Living Australia
Life history cycle
Diapriid wasp specialise in parasitising fly pupae and prepupae. Most spend very little time flying as their hosts are usually somewhere on the ground. Some have very reduced wings or none at all and can be mistaken for ants.
