Wasps in Australia – everything you need to know

Wasps belong to a mixed group comprising more than 12,000 species in Australia, ranging from native to introduced species. The smallest is the minuscule diapriidae, which you can barely see, and the largest is the cicada-killer wasps and spider wasps, both capable of demolishing larger prey.

Wasps play a critical role in the Australian environment, with the adults of many species feeding on nectar and thus pollinating plants. Some wasps are essential partners for native orchids, another for fig trees. Some are predators, and some wasp larvae eat caterpillars, beetle grubs, spiders and many pest insects.

Main Features of Wasps in Australia

The larvae of most wasps in Australia are carnivorous, feeding on spiders and other insects provided by adult wasps who either lay their eggs near a food source or catch prey. The prey the adults feed to the larvae could be other insects’ eggs, pupa, larvae or whole insects.  The main features include the fact that:

• Most Australian native wasp species are solitary, but some colonise, such as the paper wasp.
• Many wasps can act as biological control agents on crop pests since adults usually feed on nectar and pollinate plants.
• In some wasps, the ovipositors or egg-laying structures are turned into stingers. 
• Some wasps are hyper-parasites, feeding their young on other parasitic wasps’ larvae.

Solitary, Semi-Solitary, and Social Wasps in Australia

Most wasp species in Australia are solitary, so they don’t build big nests and colonise. Every solo female is fertile and will build her own nest and abandon it after reproduction. The different wasps build nests from resin, wood fibres, or mud.

• European Wasps – When most people think about wasps, they imagine the large black and yellow European wasp. It’s the most well known and abundant social wasp, an introduced species not native to Australia. Due to their fast reproduction, they now affect the Australian ecosystem and are dangerous pests.
• Solitary wasps – Most of our native Australian wasp species live solitary lives. Each female or queen creates her own nest and prepares it to hatch her eggs (which makes her vulnerable prey for cuckoo wasps).
• Semi-solitary wasps– Some wasp species have evolved to work together to avoid some of the dangers of solitary life. Some bees and wasp species have only one fertile female in the colony; the semi-solitary wasps have all females fertile, and some keep guard. 
• Social wasps – Australia’s social wasps have a social order with a queen, worker wasps, and drones (males). The only fertile female is the queen wasp, and if she dies, that’s the end of the colony. Acacia pest control exterminators look for the queen and kill her to eradicate a colony. 

Do All Wasps in Australia Sting?

Wasps can be aggressive, territorial, and mean, and these little critters have no problem injecting you with venom multiple times, so yes, some do pack a punch. Stinging wasps also release pheromones that target you as a threat, so the rest of the colony or nearby wasps join in the attack. If you are stung and are allergic, seek medical help. The Australian native wasps are not much of a problem, but the sting of introduced species like the European wasp can be excruciating and if you are allergic, seek medical help. 

The European Wasp

• The European wasp is very aggressive and stings. They are between 12–16mm, bright yellow with a black banded belly, black spots on each yellow band, and one clear pair of wings on top of a smaller pair. They fly with legs close to the body and have black antennae. 

The Common Wasp

• This is an aggressive stinging exotic wasp, measuring from 12 to 16 mm long. Hordes will attack if the colony is disturbed. Common wasps are very similar to European wasps with bright yellow and black banded abdomens and a pair of black spots on each yellow band. However, the pattern is different. 

The Asian Paper Wasp

• This wasp, a recent arrival in Australia, is 13– 25mm long, with a slender body, narrow waist and small head, medium-sized eyes and antennae, and will attack en masse and sting if the colony is threatened. The wings and abdomen are reddish-brown with yellow rings. And it has long, bright yellow legs. 

European Paper Wasp

• These wasps are 15–25mm long with a small head, yellow antennae, narrow waist, amber or reddish-brown wings, and a black abdomen with yellow stripes and long yellow legs. This wasp will sting to protect the nest.

Australian Native Paper Wasp

• There are about 35 different paper wasp species native to Australia, and they are 10-22mm long, with a small head, and they will sting if disturbed. They typically have a narrow waist and slender body, two sets of brown wings, orange or yellow belly bands but mainly black.

Sand Wasp

• Most sand wasps are around 20mm long, black and yellow or white and black, often with a banded pattern. Many sand wasps have pale greenish markings. They do pack a sting if disturbed. They’re not as aggressive as European wasps but tend to hover over people to catch flies, which is mistaken for aggression.  

Mud Nesting Wasps

• Mud wasps are 5-30mm long, and most range from orange/black to yellow/black. They’re the most common wasp encountered in Australia and are often called Potter, Mud-dauber, Dirt-dauber, Spider, Vase, or Organ pipe wasps. They do sting but are not aggressive.