A. soror is a very large scoliid wasp reaching up to 3 cm long. The body is black, and the wings are smoky with a blue iridescence. This colour scheme is shared by several other Australian scoliids. The setae of
A. soror are entirely black, and the second sternite is non-tuberculate. As a member of
Austroscolia, the wings have a single recurrent vein and three submarginal cells. Distinguishing this species requires close and thorough inspection of specimens. The allied and mostly
sympatric A. nitida varifrons has denser punctures on the pronotum, mesothorax, and gaster.
A. commixta of the Northern Territory, known only from the male, has a tuberculate second sternite and has shorter antennae. Another common species,
Australelis anthracina, has two recurrent veins and white setae. While most females and southwestern males of that species are entirely black, males in the east have a single pair of yellow to orange spots on the third segment of the gaster. Austroscolia soror wing venation.jpg|
A. soror wing venation Black-Flower-Wasp.jpg|Male
A. soror in Victoria Water wings - Flickr - jeans Photos.jpg|Female of the similar
Australelis anthracina in Western Australia ==Biology==