Tachypompilus ignitus

Tachypompilus ignitus

Hunting wasps are members of various taxa of the insect order Hymenoptera. Their habits and affinities vary in many ways, but all practice parental care of their larvae in that they capture prey, usually insects, to feed their larvae. Whether solitary or social, most species construct some form of protection or nest in which they hide the prey and in which the larvae can feed and pupate in reasonable security.
Most solitary hunting wasps sting their prey in such a manner as to paralyse it without killing it. As a result it remains fresh for the young to eat.
Tachypompilus ignitus most commonly provides its young with rain spiders (Palystes) and is usually seen dragging a paralyzed spider along the ground.
Spider wasp with Huntsman spider Here she has dragged the spider into a safe corner while she goes about digging a nest. Geotagged,Palystes superciliosus,South Africa,Summer,Tachypompilus ignitus,arachnids,huntsman spiders,hymenoptera,insects,palystes,south africa,spider wasps,spiders,tachypompilus,wasps

Appearance

Large, body length approximately 47mm. Body black with reddish tip to abdomen. Face with red markings, antennae red. legs red, femora mostly black. Wings red with black base and dark tip.
Spider wasp v Huntsman spider Needless to say, the wasp won and the spider was unceremoniously dragged away to become a living nest for her eggs. This was her dragging the poor spider up our drainpipe before she realised it was the wrong way and they both ended up in our retaining wall where she has dug a big hole and buried the spider. These Wasp spiders do not kill their prey but rather paralyze it so that it remains fresh for the larvae to eat. Geotagged,Palystes,Palystes superciliosus,South Africa,Summer,Tachypompilus ignitus,arachnids,insects,south africa,spider wasp,spiders,wasp

Naming

Smith 1855

Distribution

Common throughout South Africa

Status

Not assessed

Behavior

Tachypompilus ignitus most commonly provides its young with rain spiders (Palystes) and is usually seen dragging a paralyzed spider along the ground.

Habitat

Ground dwelling, often enters buildings in search of prey.

Reproduction

Hunting wasps are members of various taxa of the insect order Hymenoptera. Their habits and affinities vary in many ways, but all practice parental care of their larvae in that they capture prey, usually insects, to feed their larvae. Whether solitary or social, most species construct some form of protection or nest in which they hide the prey and in which the larvae can feed and pupate in reasonable security.

Food

Rain spiders (Palystes)

Defense

Powerful sting

References:

Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunting_wasp
http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/species/id/15542198
Field Guide to Insects of South Africa; Mike Pecker; Charles Griffiths; Alan Weaving. Struik nature 2004
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderHymenoptera
FamilyPompilidae
GenusTachypompilus
SpeciesTachypompilus ignitus
Photographed in
South Africa