Post by StormInateacup on Jul 8, 2012 6:25:03 GMT -5
People are fucked in the head. They think that because a species is troublesome or annoying to human activity they should just eradicate it. Often, as with wasps, they'll just want to kill the thing because it "looks creepy" or "It's a bug!"
They never give any thought to the role that animal has in the keeping the ecosystem in balance.
We have a lot of different species of native wasps. And we also have feral populations of the European wasps, which are the ones that usually infest populated areas and cause trouble.
As with any introduced species here, all European wasps are a massive problem. Mostly for the native fauna and often too for the native flora. This wide brown land, isolated and a real little Zoological and Botanical hothouse - it's fragile, unexposed to so many of the common diseases that those foreign species carry. Whole species have been wiped out because of the introduction of the feral types. The native bee for example is at critical levels, having succumbed to a virus carried by European bees to which they had no immunity at all.
This has a flow-on effect, because many native trees and shrubs were only pollinated by the native bee. The European bee, preferring other nectars did not take over the task in a lot of cases and thus the plants too were thrown into near extinction.
The Blue Ant:Actually the ally the wingless female of a native flower wasp species called the Diamma bicolour.
They're parasitic. Laying eggs in the adult mole cricket. The males are winged and have an important role in pollination of several native flowering shrubs.
Species: zonatus
Common Name: Native Flower Wasp.
Habitat:Coastal areas of Tasmania. Females are also wingless and parasitic. They pollinate heathland vegetation.
Genus: Tiphiidae family
Common Name: Flower Wasp
Flower Wasps are parasitic wasps. Many species parasitize the larvae of burrowing beetles. The females are stout and wingless with legs adapted for digging. They are often seen with the male Flower Wasp flaying around carrying the wingless female while mating. Some species are brightly colored others are all black in colour.
Food
adults feed on nectar
Breeding
The female Flower Wasp burrows through the soil and lays an egg on beetle grub. When the egg hatches the wasp larva feeds on the beetle grub.
The Ichneumon waspsare as good for pest control in your veggie or ornamental garden as lady beetles, because they feed on moths and seem to have adapted well to the white cabbage moth which otherwise destroys crops like tomatoes and also eats rose hips.
Genus: Gotra
Species: sp1
Common Name: Black and White-striped Ichneumon Wasp.
Habitat: mainland Australia -widely dispersed.
Identification
The Mud Dauber Wasp is a large black or dark brown wasp, banded with yellow. It has a then waist an long legs. In summer it is often seen around wet soil, pools, bird baths as it collects mud to make its nest.
Size
25mm
Food
The adult wasp preys on spiders which are packed into each nest cell, then an egg is laid in the cell. The larva eats the spiders when the egg hatches.
Breeding
The female builds a mud nest carrying small pellets of mud from damp soil. Several cells are built next to each other in rows. Nests common around houses in sheds, garages, car ports.
I keep a few of these nests going in the shed because we have a lot of redbacks and white tailed spiders in there which are both pretty scary, esp when you have kids around and the mud daubers do a great job keeping the buggers under control.
There are dozens more. I'm sure there are just as many and varied in the European and American environment - and that a lot of them have a role to play in keeping the planet alive too.
They never give any thought to the role that animal has in the keeping the ecosystem in balance.
We have a lot of different species of native wasps. And we also have feral populations of the European wasps, which are the ones that usually infest populated areas and cause trouble.
As with any introduced species here, all European wasps are a massive problem. Mostly for the native fauna and often too for the native flora. This wide brown land, isolated and a real little Zoological and Botanical hothouse - it's fragile, unexposed to so many of the common diseases that those foreign species carry. Whole species have been wiped out because of the introduction of the feral types. The native bee for example is at critical levels, having succumbed to a virus carried by European bees to which they had no immunity at all.
This has a flow-on effect, because many native trees and shrubs were only pollinated by the native bee. The European bee, preferring other nectars did not take over the task in a lot of cases and thus the plants too were thrown into near extinction.
The Blue Ant:Actually the ally the wingless female of a native flower wasp species called the Diamma bicolour.
They're parasitic. Laying eggs in the adult mole cricket. The males are winged and have an important role in pollination of several native flowering shrubs.
Species: zonatus
Common Name: Native Flower Wasp.
Habitat:Coastal areas of Tasmania. Females are also wingless and parasitic. They pollinate heathland vegetation.
Genus: Tiphiidae family
Common Name: Flower Wasp
Flower Wasps are parasitic wasps. Many species parasitize the larvae of burrowing beetles. The females are stout and wingless with legs adapted for digging. They are often seen with the male Flower Wasp flaying around carrying the wingless female while mating. Some species are brightly colored others are all black in colour.
Food
adults feed on nectar
Breeding
The female Flower Wasp burrows through the soil and lays an egg on beetle grub. When the egg hatches the wasp larva feeds on the beetle grub.
The Ichneumon waspsare as good for pest control in your veggie or ornamental garden as lady beetles, because they feed on moths and seem to have adapted well to the white cabbage moth which otherwise destroys crops like tomatoes and also eats rose hips.
Genus: Gotra
Species: sp1
Common Name: Black and White-striped Ichneumon Wasp.
Habitat: mainland Australia -widely dispersed.
Identification
The Mud Dauber Wasp is a large black or dark brown wasp, banded with yellow. It has a then waist an long legs. In summer it is often seen around wet soil, pools, bird baths as it collects mud to make its nest.
Size
25mm
Food
The adult wasp preys on spiders which are packed into each nest cell, then an egg is laid in the cell. The larva eats the spiders when the egg hatches.
Breeding
The female builds a mud nest carrying small pellets of mud from damp soil. Several cells are built next to each other in rows. Nests common around houses in sheds, garages, car ports.
I keep a few of these nests going in the shed because we have a lot of redbacks and white tailed spiders in there which are both pretty scary, esp when you have kids around and the mud daubers do a great job keeping the buggers under control.
There are dozens more. I'm sure there are just as many and varied in the European and American environment - and that a lot of them have a role to play in keeping the planet alive too.