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Post by kamejinjess on Oct 15, 2021 9:45:06 GMT -8
Location in California, Solano County. Thanks!
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Post by trehopr1 on Oct 15, 2021 9:58:49 GMT -8
What you have there is a species of spider wasp. These are solitary wasps that specialized in hunting spiders as prey; one of nature's checks and balances.
There are taxonomic differences amongst spider hunting specialist wasps. For example, "tarantula hawks" are pepsis wasps which prey specifically on tarantulas however, most other pepsis wasps prey on all manner of other spiders.
Mud dauber wasps are spider specialists as well and they make mud nests to entomb the spiders they paralyze as food for their young. However, they are not considered true "pepsis" wasps as I (believe) they are in a different subfamily.
Mud dauber wasps are communal wasps albeit their numbers are often small in any one nesting site. True pepsis species are "loners" or solitary wasps which tend to excavate their own underground cavities OR they utilize old rodent nests and the like...
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