Subject: Hornets, Wasp, Bee Name...?

From: [email-masked] (Rob Pratt)
Date: 21 Mar 1995 16:01:21 GMT

Hi.  This may not necessarily be the correct place to ask this but as I
can find no other place in the net with anything even remote to my
question, I figured I'd try here.

Anyway, long story short, friend and I were discussing various insects and
had remembered hearing of one that actually hunts down spiders.  This
Wasp (or Hornet or Bee) actually gets itself trapped in webs on purpose and
then attacks the Spider - laying its eggs inside of it after stinging the	spider.  The eggs then eventually hatch and the larva eat the host.

Can any of you tell me the name of this insect?  I am not sure but it may
be some type of African or South American hornet.  Also, can anyone give
me a rundown of the major differneces between Wasps and Hornets? We know
the differences between them and bees...(the basics anyway)

Responses here or at [email-masked] are appreciated.  I will
check here though until April 21st, 1995.

Thanks...
  Robb

---

From: [email-masked] (Timothy C. Eisele)
Date: 21 Mar 1995 14:35:05 -0500

Rob Pratt ([email-masked]) wrote:
: 
: Anyway, long story short, friend and I were discussing various insects and
: had remembered hearing of one that actually hunts down spiders.  This
: Wasp (or Hornet or Bee) actually gets itself trapped in webs on purpose and
: then attacks the Spider - laying its eggs inside of it after stinging the	spider.  The eggs then eventually hatch and the larva eat the host.
: 
Well, there is a species of wasp commonly referred to as the "mud dauber,"
which builds nests out of mud for its larvae.  These are common in Michigan,
and I broke open a few of the nests when I was a kid, and found each larva
chamber stocked with numerous small, paralyzed spiders for food.  I don't 
know what procedure the adults use to catch the spiders, but it is probably
similar to what you describe above.  These wasps are a dark, metallic blue
color, and the abdomen is connected to the thorax by a long, narrow neck.
These apparently don't sting in self-defense (at least, none ever tried to 
sting me :-) 

There are probably a lot of wasp species that prey on spiders.

Tim Eisele
[email-masked]

---

From: [email-masked] (Rob Pratt)
Date: 24 Mar 1995 17:55:44 GMT

Timothy C. Eisele ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Well, there is a species of wasp commonly referred to as the "mud dauber,"
: which builds nests out of mud for its larvae.  These are common in Michigan,
: and I broke open a few of the nests when I was a kid, and found each larva
: chamber stocked with numerous small, paralyzed spiders for food.  I don't 
: know what procedure the adults use to catch the spiders, but it is probably
: similar to what you describe above.  These wasps are a dark, metallic blue
: color, and the abdomen is connected to the thorax by a long, narrow neck.
: These apparently don't sting in self-defense (at least, none ever tried to 
: sting me :-) 

: There are probably a lot of wasp species that prey on spiders.

Thanks Tim.  Someone sent me an email (though the name leaves me now) with
some information about Spider Wasps and that sounds like what I was looking
for.  I also heard about African Hornets that swarm small animals stinging
them to death and laying eggs in them.  The later was I believe a bit 
harsher than I had expected to hear about.  Of the specific species the
one down in Arizonia called the 'Tarantula-Hawk' is as close to the
species as I have heard of now.  Again, my thanks to you all...if anyone
can get me anycloser or any other names its appreciated.  BTW, question
still stands, anyone know what the primary difference between wasps and
hornets is...?

Thanks again,
  Robb

---

From: [email-masked] (Gordon Scott)
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 11:45:30 +0000

In article <[email-masked]>
           [email-masked] "Rob Pratt" writes:

> BTW, question

Hornets are species of wasp, like bumbles are species of bee.

Regards
-- 
Gordon Scott	[email-masked]		100332,3310 on CompuServe
Newsletter	[email-masked]	ditto
		Beekeeper, Kendo Sandan, sometime sailor.
		Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 5HP, UK

---

From: [email-masked] (David Cappaert)
Date: 24 Mar 1995 02:29:01 GMT

[email-masked] (Rob Pratt) wrote:

> then attacks the Spider - laying its eggs inside of it after stinging
the       spider.  The eggs then eventually hatch and the larva eat the
host.
> 
> Can any of you tell me the name of this insect?  ...

There are many wasps that parasitize spiders.  Many species of sphecids,
including mud daubers provision nests with spiders.  The Pompilidae is an
entire family of wasps that capture and paralyze spiders, insert them into
cells in rotten wood or soil, and then lay eggs on the body.  Some of
these attack and parasitize spiders in their burrows (rather than burying
them).  However I haven't heard of wasps that use webs as you describe.

-- 
David Cappaert <[email-masked]>