Spider killers

Spider Wasp and Huntsman Spider wrestling on Lung Fu Shan (photo credits to C. W. Law)

Spiders are mystical creatures, with special features like their eight legs, hairy bodies, ability to spin silk… For many years, spiders have been villainized by old movies, children’s books, their evil image deeply ingrained. While rationally knowing spiders are “good insects” (spiders are not actually insects), many people cannot accept their looks, some may even have fear so intense it constitutes Arachnophobia.

If spiders were villains, then who would be the hero for Arachnophobes?

That would be the Spider Wasp, a species not difficult to find in Hong Kong. The Spider Wasp has a bright orange head, metallic blue wings, and is a giant among the Pompilidae family. Hmm… you can tell they’re heroes just by their appearance.

Spiders comprises the majority of the Spider Wasps’ diet, especially the Sparassidae family that is supposedly extra ‘tasty’. The wasp pictured seems to have the spider in the bag. Every so often in our centre, a Spider Wasp can be seen attempting to drag a spider several time its size from the wall to the roof; if it fails and the spider falls on the ground, the wasp doesn’t give up, resting a while before attempting again: the picture of perseverance.

Spiders are not exactly friendly: they are active, poisonous, strong… Why would they be manipulated by a wasp? The secret’s in the wasp’s poisonous sting, its poison has strong anesthetic properties, able to immobilize spiders, its effect even lasting from days to weeks. Therefore, the Spider Wasp can (very patiently) move food back to its nest for its young to feed on. Also, as the spider is only anesthetized, it is still alive during transport and storage, ensuring the freshness during consumption!

A ‘superpower’ this convenient, what do you say?