5 articles
Hunting behavior and ecology of spider wasps
Spider wasps (Pompilidae) are solitary hunting wasps in which every species stings a spider into paralysis, lays one egg on it, and the larva consumes that one spider.
Pompilidae taxonomy and systematics
Pompilidae taxonomy and systematics covers how spider wasps, a cosmopolitan family of over 5,000 species, are placed within Pompiloidea and divided into three to five subfamilies.
Regional faunas of spider wasps
The regional faunas of spider wasps (Pompilidae) differ sharply in size and composition: 4,856 described species worldwide, with the Neotropical realm alone holding about 20%.
Spider wasp
Spider wasps (Pompilidae): cosmopolitan solitary wasps, about 4,855–5,000 species, that paralyze spiders with sodium-channel toxins and provision single eggs; includes the tarantula hawk, rated 4 on the Schmidt pain index.
Tarantula hawk
Tarantula hawks (Pepsis, Hemipepsis) are large pompilid parasitoid wasps of the Americas that paralyze tarantulas to provision larvae; females deliver a Schmidt index level 4 sting lasting about five minutes.