Wildlife Spotting

Great Orange Huntsman Wasp, Cryptocheilus fabricolor?

Spider Hunting Wasp Heterodotonyx bicolor Distinctive Markings Black and orange body, wings yellow-orange. Identifying Characteristics Body orange and black. Wings yellow-orange with black tips. Long, narrow legs. Body up to 4 cm long. Biology Spider Hunting Wasps are active during summer. They run about searching for spiders, often huntsmen, which they sting and paralyse before dragging the prey into a burrow. An egg is laid on the spider and the burrow sealed closed, leaving the wasp larva to feed on the live spider. The adult feeds on nectar and other sweet fluids. Diet Herbivore Habitat Urban areas, forests and woodlands, wetlands and heaths. Native Status Native to Australia Taxonomy Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Genus: Heterodotonyx Species: bicolor