Here's a new species for the UT insect collection: Spilomicrus exul. Despite decades of general insect sampling at UT's Brackenridge Field Lab by armies of undergraduates, this is the first we've seen this distinctive little parasitic wasp.

#Biodiversity #Collections #Insects #Diapriidae

I've been amazed by the diversity of #Diapriidae #wasps in my #Malaise trap in #Canberra. The genus #Rostropria is a particular favourite.

Here are three images of female Rostropria spiniventris and one of Rostropria simplex.

Early & Naumann 1989 recorded the same two species from the ACT but only found brachypterous/micropterous females of spiniventris.

3 out of 5 of my ♀ spiniventris have been macropterous. Is wing length controlled by development environment?

#Entomology #Hymenoptera

#Microscope images of a #Diapriidae #wasp #Acanthobetyla tooloomensis from #Malaise trap in #Canberra, Australia, 19-26 August 2022.

https://inaturalist.org/observations/144604978

I shared Acanthobetyla cerbera (same location):

https://scicomm.xyz/@dhobern/109533138973426104

Differences include rounded/emarginate forewings, spines/carina on vertex and metanotal carina.
#entomology #Hymenoptera

Multiple female cerbera recorded:

https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations?place_id=any&taxon_id=1387038&user_id=dhobern

Key to genus in https://doi.org/10.1071/AJZS085

Any #iNaturalist users able to verify?

I ran a #Malaise trap run in my garden for two years (2020-10-23 to 2022-10-28). The first year's samples went to the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics in Guelph, ON for DNA barcoding. In the second year, I've been focused mostly on #Ichneumonidae and other parasitic wasps. #entomology

Three insects from 12-19 Aug 2022: #Acanthobetyla cerbera (#Diapriidae, 2 images), #Elateridae sp. and probably #Anacis sp. (#Ichneumonidae).

More images, etc.:

https://araba.hobern.net/

https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations?place_id=6744&q=ArabaBioscan