The yellow flower wasp Radumeris tasmaniensis Saussure (Hymenoptera Scoliidae) potential threat to New Zealand native fauna

Abstract

The yellow flower wasp Radumeris tasmaniensis Saussure was first reported in Northland New Zealand in February 2000 R tasmaniensis is a solitary wasp which occurs naturally in Australia and Papua New Guinea It is an ectoparasitoid of scarabaeid larvae A survey was carried out during February and March 2001 to determine the distribution and potential host range of R tasmaniensis in Northland This confirmed that R tasmaniensis was present at the three sites from which it was first reported in 2000 but appeared not to have established more widely A small extension to its known range was discovered in a further survey in MarchApril 2002 Parasitised scarabaeid larvae were not detected by soil sampling but Pericoptus spp (Scarabaeidae Dynastinae) was the species most commonly found The rationale and methodology of the survey is presented and the conservation implications of the establishment of this species in New Zealand are discussed