Spider Wasp

Description:

Spider wasps earned their name from the habit of paralyzing spiders larger than themselves and then laying a single larvae within it. The spider provides nourishment for the growing larvae.

Notes:

This particular spider wasp was found and caught (by me and another student) in Costa Rica at El Zota Biological Field Station, during an undergraduate course. The insect was placed in a refridgerator for a few minutes to slow it's metabolism and allow us to take photos. Unfortunately, I wasn't into photography at the time and these are the best shots I was able to get with an old point and shoot.