Appearance
The body is 8–12 mm long and the forewings are 7.5–10 mm long. The dorsal side is black with white hair spots. The forewings are translucent near the body and smoky black over the distal half. The hindwings are mostly translucent, but gradually darkening over the tips.The overall appearance is similar to "T. caeruleopunctatus", but "T. waroonensis" has longer and more slender antennae.
Distribution
This species occurs across a large part of mainland Australia, and it has also been recorded on Rottnest Island.Behavior
"Thyreus waroonensis" is kleptoparasitic, with some "Amegilla" species serving as the hosts. When the host bee is absent, the Waroona cuckoo bee enters the "Amegilla" nest and bites a small hole in the cap of a freshly sealed cell. She then places an egg near the host egg and repairs the hole in the cell. The "T. waroonensis" larva has enlarged mandibles which it uses to kill the host egg and eat the cell provisions. It is believed the "Amegilla" host species include "A. chlorocyanea" and "A. calva"."Thyreus waroonensis" has been observed collecting nectar from the flowers of various species, including "Eucalyptus" and "Melaleuca".
Habitat
This species occurs across a large part of mainland Australia, and it has also been recorded on Rottnest Island."Thyreus waroonensis" is kleptoparasitic, with some "Amegilla" species serving as the hosts. When the host bee is absent, the Waroona cuckoo bee enters the "Amegilla" nest and bites a small hole in the cap of a freshly sealed cell. She then places an egg near the host egg and repairs the hole in the cell. The "T. waroonensis" larva has enlarged mandibles which it uses to kill the host egg and eat the cell provisions. It is believed the "Amegilla" host species include "A. chlorocyanea" and "A. calva"."Thyreus waroonensis" has been observed collecting nectar from the flowers of various species, including "Eucalyptus" and "Melaleuca".
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