General Description

Body green-blue with armoured, plated back. Body up to 2 cm long.

Biology

Cuckoo Wasps visit flowers to feed on nectar. Females lay eggs in Mud Wasp nests. When the larvae hatch, they feed on the food stored in the nest intended for the Mud Wasp larva, or on the Mud Wasp larva body. If attacked by the Mud Wasp host, the intruding Cuckoo Wasp protects itself by curling into a ball.

Distribution

Eastern mainland Australia and Tasmania.

Habitat

Woodlands, heaths and urban areas.

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