Nitela sp.
Late December 2022
Nipaluna/Hobart
Very low set antennae suggest Crabronidae, Crabroninae, Crabronini, Crabronina.Poss. Rhopalum sp
Identification and information thanks to Bernhard Jacobi
Information via iNaturalist from Kerri-Lee Harris
“This seems a good fit for the miscophini Nitela. They are very small wasps, and typically black. But more importantly, the following features are a good match:
- eyes converging strongly above, with ‘entire’ (ie not notched or indented) inner margins [rules out Crabronini & Trypoxylini, which includes Rhopalum & a bunch of other genera)
- ocelli normal [rules out Larrini]
- forewing venation, with single submarginal cell … so that leaves Nitela or Auchenophorus”
“The easiest way to tell apart these two genera is the wing venation. The water bowl shot is very helpful (!), but still a little unclear in the critical area. Nevertheless, I reckon it’s a match for Nitela … subdiscoidal cell open posteriorly, hindwing with few veins and no closed cells.
Various other features also match with the Bohart & Menke (1976) description of Nitela, including: the long propodeum; antennae very low on face (as you noted); shape of the pronotal collar (long, with transverse sulcus interrupted at the midline by a triangular prominence … photo 5) … etc. Oh, and it’s a boy! 11 flagellomeres (cf 10 in females)”
Photos KE
Nitela australiensis (male)
Late November 2024
Kunanyi / Mt Wellington
Body length around 5.4mm. Identification thanks to Kerri-Lee Harris. Photos AD
Nitela australiensis
Early December 2025
Nipaluna/Hobart
Identification thanks to Kerri-Lee Harris
Photos KE
