Skip to main content
Today is National Trails Day!
Close

Spider Wasp

Pepsis sp

Photo by Dan Doucette
Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

-3.98893, -70.09

Field Notes

Description:

two spots in one, the large wasp was dragging the apparently lifeless spider around, not sure what it was trying to do

Habitat:

tropical rainforest

Notes:

I spotted this little drama on a shrub while I was waiting for my guide to start a hike. I'm not sure if the spider was dead but it didn't move very much while the wasp was pulling it around the leaf.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (5)
KarenL
Fun fact! Spider wasps hunt spiders, including tarantulas, as food for their larvae. The female wasp captures, stings, and paralyzes a spider, before dragging it to her nest and depositing a single egg in its abdomen. When the wasp larva hatches, it feeds voraciously on the spider, avoiding vital organs for as long as possible to keep its host alive. Eventually the larva pupates, and finally becomes an adult, emerging from the spider's abdomen to continue the life cycle. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152759593915603&set=a.10152575329380603.958289.10150120463815603&type=1 https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/326798819977224195
Dan Doucette
I think you're right martin, thanks. It's hard to believe these wasps could take out a tarantula. These are really fascinating insects. Thank you mendes.
MartinL
Its a spider wasp possibly pepsis. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/18415026 This big one would have killed the tarantula you spotted earlier. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula_hawk

Spotted for Missions

Mission
International Spider Survey
Mission
Colombia Wildlife
Mission
Mission WILD

Tags

Photographed
PublishedApril 21, 2013

Community Sponsor

Butterfly
Become a Community Sponsor and Help Grow our Global Movement!

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Butterflies icon
Become a Community Sponsor

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon

Nature & Conservation Organizations

Brands & Mission-Focused Companies