Melittobia australica

Melittobia australica is a small wasp between 1.1 and 1.4 mm in length but has the typical wasp body plan of a head, thorax, abdomen body structure with the "wasp waist". It is sexually dimorphic with males is normally being larger than females, males are 1.2 to 1.4 mm in length while females are 1.1 to 1.3 mm. Males also have a with a wider head and smaller wings are smaller and their antennal scape is significantly broader. The colour difference is that the males are also a honey brown whereas the females are coloured dark brown. There are at least two morphs of females in M. australica which differ in the size of the abdomen, the size of the eyes and the extent of wing development. The "crawler" morph have a normal abdomen, small eyes and underdeveloped wings. The "flier" and possibly the "jumper" morphs have larger eyes and wings and a smaller abdomen. The "crawlers" remain within the host nest for the whole of their life cycle while the other morphs disperse as adults. ==Distribution==

Melittobia australica was first described by the American entomologist Alexandre Arsène Girault in 1912 from Australia but it has since been recorded from North America, Central America, northern South America, the Caribbean, Africa, eastern Asia, Europe (Sicily) and New Zealand. Some authorities believe that it is indigenous to Australia but that human commercial activity has allowed it to spread and become cosmopolitan. ==Habitat==

In Australia Melittobia australica was original reared from the nest of the sphecid wasp Pison spinolae by Girault and rainforest was the original habitat. ==Biology==

Melittobia australica is a parasitoid and its primary hosts are solitary bees and wasps. Its life cycle starts with the female finding the nest of a suitable host where the progeny are in the prepupal stage. The female feeds on the prepupa, she punctures it with the ovipositor and feeds on the exuded body fluids, using the proteins in the ingested fluid for ovogenesis. The bombyliid fly Anthrax angularis and the ichneumonid Stenarella victoriae are parasites in the nests of Sceliphron spp. and have been recorded as being viable hosts for M. australica. In addition, M. australica were found on dipteran puparia found in the nests of Sceliphron which are thought to be parasites on the spiders stocked in empty cells by the wasps. ==References==