spider wasp

(Family Pompilidae)

Overview
spider wasp (Family Pompilidae)
Photo by Alfredo Colon
 

Pompilidae is the family of spider wasps. There are about 5,000 species in 125 genera in 6 subfamilies of spider wasp worldwide, about 300 species in about 40 genera in North America north of Mexico, and at least 70 species in Minnesota.

Spider wasps are solitary. After mating, the female paralyzes one spider, drags it to her burrow, and lays a single egg. If the spider is large, a female will be produced. If it is small, the offspring will be a male.

 
           
 
Description
 
 

Most spider wasps are slender and black or dark blue, sometimes metallic. Wasps have a three-segmented thorax. On spider wasps the third segment is solidly fused to its exoskeletal plate (pronotum) and to the middle segment, making them strong fliers; and the first segment is well developed, making them strong diggers. Abdominal segments 1 and 2 are narrow. Most spider wasps have long wings. The legs are long and spiny. The third segment (femur) of the hind leg often reaches past the end of the abdomen. The fourth segment (tibia) of the hind leg usually have a conspicuous spine at the end.

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

24, 27, 30, 82.

 
  1/11/2023      
         
 
Taxonomy
 
 

Order

Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies)  
 

Suborder

Apocrita (narrow-waisted wasps, ants, and bees)  
 

Infraorder

Aculeata (ants, bees, and stinging wasps)  
 

Superfamily

Pompiloidea (spider wasps, velvet ants and allies)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

Subfamily Ceropalinae

Subfamily Ctenocerinae

Subfamily Notocyphinae

Subfamily Pompilinae (typical spider wasps)

Subfamily Pepsinae (tarantula-hawk wasps and allies)

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

pompilid wasp

spider wasp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Femur

On insects and arachnids, the third, largest, most robust segment of the leg, coming immediately before the tibia. On humans, the thigh bone.

 

Pronotum

The exoskeletal plate on the upper side of the first segment of the thorax of an insect.

 

Tibia

The fourth segment of an insect leg, after the femur and before the tarsus (foot).

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
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Alfredo Colon

 
    spider wasp (Family Pompilidae)      
 

Emily

 
 

Looking for ID

wasp paralyzes jumping spider equal to size and tries to carry it away.

  spider wasp (Family Pompilidae)  
           
    spider wasp (Family Pompilidae)   spider wasp (Family Pompilidae)  
           
 
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Other Videos
 
  Pompilidae (Spider Wasp)
Paul Verhulst
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Aug 2, 2011

This video is made in my backyard. While we were eating, an spiderwasp (Pompilidae) attacked a spider. In a few seconds he was paralyzed by the venomous sting. (This tragedy happened the first of August (2011).

After that i decided to follow the wasp and his prey to his hole.

The footage was shot using a iPhone 4.
Compiled with After Effects.

 
  avispa versus araña ( Pompilidae)
iati88
 
   
 
About

Published on Jan 11, 2015

Filmado en Parque Finky el 10-01-2015. La avispa hembra captura, pica y paraliza a la araña, entonces arrastra a su presa de vuelta a su madriguera o a un nido especialmente preparado, donde un solo huevo se deposita en el abdomen de la araña, posteriormente bloquea la entrada dejandola atrapada. Cuando la larva de la avispa eclosiona, crea un pequeño agujero en el abdomen de la araña, para entrar en él, alimentándose vorazmente, evitando órganos vitales tanto tiempo como le sea posible para mantenerla viva. Después de varias semanas, la larva se convierte en pupa. Finalmente, se convierte en un adulto y emerge del abdomen de la araña.

 
  Pompilidae
hernando
 
   
 
About

Published on Jul 18, 2015

avispa Pompilidae haciendo una cueva de cría

Google Translate: Pompilidae wasp making a breeding cave

 
  Pompilidae and his spider
Mark Mile
 
   
 
About

Published on Feb 1, 2013

i very lucky that i have seen.......!!!

 

 

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  DMeulpolder
6/6/2023

Location: Golden Valley, MN

My Wisteria is covered in these flying insects. They fly like wasps, have metallic blue wings and a dark body with red-orange legs and around the head. At least that’s as much as I got with a quick look. Are they harmful? What can I do to get rid of them?

 
  John Valo
6/6/2023

Spider wasps prey on spiders. They are not harmful to plants and will not sting humans unless “extremely provoked.” The best course of action may be to leave them alone.

 
  Alfredo Colon
8/15/2022

Location: Albany, NY

spider wasp (Family Pompilidae)  
  Emily
8/29/2015

Location: Mound, Mn

wasp paralyzes jumping spider equal to size and tries to carry it away.

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I looked at the UofM and the wasp is a type of Sphecid.

spider wasp (Family Pompilidae)  
   

http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/sphecid-wasps/

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It is possible that it is a spider wasp. Which is a different classification than Sphecid.
Spider wasps comprise the family Pompilidae in the order Hymenoptera.
I am unsure about which one my wasp is, but am leaning towards Pompilidae,  as I cannot find a picture or description in the family Sphecid that fully describes the one I saw. There are 8000 known species, it turns out. But the photo of the spider wasp that I found is more like my photo in that it has very long hind legs, and is solid black with a hint of color to the wings.

Maybe somebody can help clear it up? I wish I had a better photo than my smart phone could provide. It was moving and hopping around rapidly as it was attempting to carry the spider off.

Spider wasp (everythingabout.net)

 
           
 
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Created: 10/27/2015

Last Updated:

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