Although bees are not my main focus, I have taken the opportunity to take a closer look at some of those turning up in the Malaise traps this year (as part of our participation in the International Barcode of Life project).

The Malaise trap survey we began 4 months ago is uncovering the diversity of our smallest wasps … including Rhopalum. They vary in colour, size, and most notably, in the shape of the gaster.

With a small specimen in hand, I take a close look at the key features of this genus. It is a very close match with N. australiensis … but equally, it may be one of several undescribed, all black species of Australian Nitela.
(specimen #2603A)

Comparing three colourful Bembix species from the Atrifrons species group: Bembix olba; Bembix wilcannia, and Bembix aureofasciata.

Identification to species level, based on Leclercq’s detailed description of the female and comparison with images of the holotype. At the time of Leclercq’s major revision (1997), only that holotype was known in collection. We can now add several more females … plus the missing males!