Posted by The European Spider wasp Insect , Anoplius nigerinus, preys on wolf spiders (Arachnida: Lycosidae). Having paralyzed the spider with her formidable sting, the female wasp drags it to the nest site to be used as food for her larvae. Body length 0.4 inches (10 mm).
Spider Wasp Insect Facts:
- Common name: Spider wasps (spider-hunting wasps)
- Family: Pompilidae
- Suborder: Apocrita
- Order: Hymenoptera
- Class/subphylum: Insecta/Hexapoda
- Number of species: About 4,000 (about 250-300 US)
- Size: From about 0.4 in (10 mm) to about 2 in (5 cm)
Key features: Body slim or fairly stout glossy, often blue-black, frequently marked with red or yellow; both sexes fully winged; wings often cloudy; long legs built for running fast eyes entire: antennae with 12 segments in females, 13 in males; pronotum extends backward to base of wings; wings flat when held at rest over back
Habits: Active in daytime, preferring high temperatures, females usually seen looking for spiders or dragging them over the ground; males mostly found on flowers
Breeding: Males much smaller than females; females of some species lay eggs on spiders, then retire; larva eats still active spider, in most species females stock larval nest cavity with a single large spider that has been paralyzed by stinging
Diet: Adults feed on nectar from flowers; larvae eat spiders
Habitat: Most common in dry open habitats such as deserts, dunes, and grassy hillsides, also in rain forests and other wooded habitats
Distribution: Worldwide, but commonest in warmer regions.
Spider Wasps Insect Photos:
