What wasp is that?

An interactive identification guide to the Australasian families of Hymenoptera

The Hymenoptera (ants, bees, sawflies and wasps) are one of the ‘mega-diverse’ insect orders. Species occur ubiquitously from forests and woodlands to grasslands and wetlands, freshwater and intertidal zones to urban parks and gardens. Arguably, no other insect group plays such key roles in the functioning of ecosystems. Wasps regulate insect populations though predation and parasitism, bees are among the most important pollinators of flowering plants, and ants dominate many terrestrial landscapes where they are involved with vital ecological processes such as predation, seed dispersal and soil health.

This interactive Lucid key provides the means to identify the 67 families of Hymenoptera that occur across Australasia using over 250 full-colour, clearly annotated illustrations of features easily seen using basic light microscopy. The key contains a comprehensive introduction on the biology, morphology and classification of the group and includes over 350 colour photographs and detailed descriptions of each family. The numerical and ecological diversity of Hymenoptera make them an ideal study organism. As such, this key will be a valuable tool for students, researchers, biological control practitioners, those involved in ecological surveys and monitoring, or simply anyone with an interest in a unique and important, yet often unnoticed, component of our native biodiversity.

Available from

http://shop.cbit.uq.edu.au/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=169

or contact

Centre for Biological Information Technology
Level 6, Hartley Teakle Building
The University of Queensland
Queensland 4072

Tel: 61 7 3365 1851
Fax:61 7 3365 1855

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