| Abstract: | Abstract Habitat structure and complexity affect the diversity and composition of fauna in a number of systems. We investigated patterns in wasp species richness, abundance and composition and also their associations with habitat complexity in Sydney sandstone forests, Australia. Pitfall and flight‐intercept traps collected dissimilar wasp assemblages. High complexity habitats supported greater abundance and species richness and a dissimilar composition of pitfall‐trapped wasps to low complexity habitats. Soil moisture, tree canopy cover, ground herb cover and shrub canopy cover all had significant positive associations with the species richness of pitfall‐trapped wasps. Although the five most abundant families of wasps we trapped are endoparasitoids of other arthropods, they showed a variety of preferences for habitat variables. The mechanisms driving associations between habitat complexity and patterns in wasp communities may also provide a basis for understanding factors influencing the regulation of arthropod assemblages by wasps in agricultural and natural landscapes. |
