Australian hornet

Abispa ephippium

The Australian hornet , actually a type of potter wasp or "mason wasp", is a vespid insect native to the Australian states and territories of the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. The Australian hornet is a solitary insect, forming small nests against buildings and other structures. The adult wasp feeds on flower nectar, while the larvae are fed caterpillars captured by the female.
Australian hornet - Apispa ephippium It is a large solitary wasp with a body size of about 25 plus mm. They are very alert and if approached will fly very close to check you out. This one had already one large brood chamber build and started another one beside it. Abispa ephippium,Australia,Australian hornet,Geotagged,Summer

Appearance

''A. ephippium'' is 30 mm in length. The insect is mostly orange, with a large central black patch on the top of the thorax, and a wide black band marking the abdomen. The insect's wings are largely translucent, but tinted orange with black areas at the wing's end.

Behavior

Being a member of the potter wasp subfamily , ''A. ephippium'' females build large nests in sheltered positions using mud. The females search for prey around trees and shrubs, before sealing the captured insects inside the nest's cells. The larvae then feed upon these insects, before emerging.

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderHymenoptera
FamilyVespidae
GenusAbispa
SpeciesA. ephippium
Photographed in
Australia