Lissopimpla excelsa
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Lissopimpla excelsa, commonly known as the orchid dupe wasp, is a wasp of the family Ichneumonidae native to Australia. Although also found in New Zealand, where it is known as the dusky-winged ichneumonid, it has probably been introduced there. However, another source states that it may be native to New Zealand.
It pollinates all five Australian members of the orchid genus Cryptostylis. The male wasp mistakes the flower parts for a female wasp and attempts to copulate with it. Although the different species can occur together, they appear to inhibit cross-fertilisation and no hybrids are found in nature. This discovery was made by Australian naturalist Edith Coleman in 1928. The term "pseudocopulation" has since been coined to describe the phenomenon. The mimicking of flowers to resemble female wasp parts has since been recorded in other orchid genera.
Although termed pseudocopulation, vigorous copulation does occur, and the male wasp ejaculates enough so that the emissions are visible to the naked eye on the flower parts. A 2008 field study showed these to contain wasp sperm. The flowers of Cryptostylis orchids and female wasp body parts are very similar in colour when viewed under a hymenopteran visual system, despite looking unlike to human eyes. Although the colours that ichneumon wasps see are unknown, bees and wasps have similar perception with green, blue and ultraviolet wavelengths. The Cryptostylis flowers have no smell detectable to humans, but have been shown to have an odour which attracts the wasp. Pseudocopulation with the orchid Cryptostylis subulata occurs in New Zealand.
The orchid dupe wasp was first described by Italian entomologist Achille Costa in 1864 as Pimpla excelsa, before being placed in (and becoming the type species of) the new genus Lissopimpla in 1889 by Joseph Kriechbaumer, who called it Lissopimpla octo-guttata Kriechb. It was also known for many years as Lissopimpla semipunctata, however Costa's name has priority and hence is the correct name. The head, mesosoma, legs and apical segments of the metasoma are red-brown, the first four segments of the metasoma are black with paired large white spots, and the wings are a dark smoky brown except at the apex of the fore wings. Like all members of its family, L. excelsa is parasitic. One species it preys upon is the noctuid moth pest species Helicoverpa armigera. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Orchid Dupe Wasp sighting in Brisbane on a given day, based on 143 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 106th most-seen of the 1083 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and February
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Orchid Dupe Wasp in Brisbane on a given day, against under 5% in June–August and October, the lowest months. Those are among Brisbane's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain a month against 40 mm in July.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Orchid Dupe Wasp sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Orchid Dupe Wasp sightings, Brisbane has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Melbourne (Australia, about 10%) and Sydney (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Orchid Dupe Wasp is recorded against all the insects logged in Brisbane (143 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
