Spider-Wasp *pics*

[Removed_2815]

Hello all,
I thought I'd share this pic - I find these wasps very fascinating. The females fly around in late September looking for unwitting spiders. Once located, she flies down and administers a paralyzing sting to her eight-legged victim. The spider is completely immobilized, however, still very much alive. The Wasp then drags the spider along the ground at an alarmingly quick pace (considering the spider outweighs her many times over). She stuffs the paralyzed spider down a hole that she has dug in the sand and deposits a single egg (sometimes more than one) onto the spider. She seals the hole up and the living (yet paralyzed) spider is forced to wait until the young wasps emerge to feed on its still living body!
Pretty nifty I think!
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/Spider%20Wasp.JPG
Cheers,
Ryan

[GTPman4]

Where are those native to?

[Removed_2815]

This particular species was found in Ontario, however, the genus has members that range all over North America. Mud-dauber Wasps also have a similar strategy.
Cheers,
Ryan

[the_frog_man]

I GOT STUNG BY BOTH OF THOSE TYPES IT HER MORE THAN A SAVANAH MONITOR BITE!!!!!




thanx froggy

[ranmasatome]

Hahaha!!! Hows it going Mr. Bolton. hope the soft shells are treating you well....

As for Pompilids....i have to say i love them...They are one hella aggressive though when you catch them in your net...they go crazy and attack the net relentlessly...lol...it makes putting them in vials very..ehh...high risk?..hahaha...
Gosh i love insects....maybe i'll post me mantis fly...:)

[blazinreps]

i have those all around my house there r tons of these clay tunnels all in rows on the wallas of my shed. i was cleanin my shed and took a shovel to then tunnels and was surprised to see so many spiders fall out i mea there were tons. and the seemed to only be of 3 different species. i was wondering if these wasps only surtan spiders?

[blazinreps]

wow sorry about all the errors there.

[WRX]

I was in Florida and was foolishly shaking a tree that had fallen into the river to see some baby Gators. Then I felt what seemed to be a lit cig digging into my wrist. It was a HUGE wasp. I had to take off my watch from the swelling!

Bad Azz Bugz


BT:eek:

[Removed_2815]

Originally posted by blazinreps
there r tons of these clay tunnels all in rows on the wallas of my shed.
The tunnels were likely from the other species I mentioned in my post, the Mud-Dauber Wasps (click here (http://home.houston.rr.com/dtlocke/images/2002-10-d29-bee-fr19.jpg)) .
These (http://www.hiltonpond.org/images/MudDauberNest01.jpg) are what tunnels of those wasps look like.
The Wasp that I have pictured drags the spider down into holes it has excavated into sand, say, on a beach.


Originally posted by blazinreps
and the seemed to only be of 3 different species. i was wondering if these wasps only surtan spiders?
I bet that they do. I am not aware of any research papers saying so but it stands to reason that certain species are targeted, either because they are less defensive, or make a better meal, or react specifically to the wasps' venom.
Neat observation...
Cheers,
Ryan