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Wildlife Spotting

Photo by Vinny
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

I mistook this for a female Thynnid wasp later to be informed it is actually a large ant, approx. 1.2cm long.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (6)
Mark Ridgway
I'm just scratching the surface Vinny. All thanks go to John. I just hope nobody overhears me in the bushes saying "Please show me your petiole." :)
Vinny
The chance to learn from people like yourself and Mark is what I love about this site. Thanks for the detailed response.
John La Salle
Vinny - Don't feel too bad, ants are a type of wasp. So you were still right in a way. Sometimes the winged ants can be extremely difficult to tell from wasps. The trick is to look at the petiole (the small segment between the thorax and abdomen) and see if it projects upwards, Hard to see in your pictures - but there. As Mark points out the elbowed antenna is also characteristic. John.
Vinny
Haha I was so sure it was a wasp, still much to learn about the little invertebrates living at our feet.
Mark Ridgway
I'd go for ant Vinny. Those antennae have decent scape and bend whereas flower wasps have evenly beaded ones..

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Backyard Habitats of the World
Photographed
PublishedMarch 8, 2015

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