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Project Noah Nature School
Large wasp-like insect (approx 2 inches long). Bright orange coloration.
Spider Hunting Wasp
Heterodotonyx bicolor
Distinctive Markings
Black and orange body, wings yellow-orange.
Identifying Characteristics
Body orange and black. Wings yellow-orange with black tips. Long, narrow legs. Body up to 4 cm long.
Biology
Spider Hunting Wasps are active during summer. They run about searching for spiders, often huntsmen, which they sting and paralyse before dragging the prey into a burrow. An egg is laid on the spider and the burrow sealed closed, leaving the wasp larva to feed on the live spider. The adult feeds on nectar and other sweet fluids.
Diet
Herbivore
Habitat
Urban areas, forests and woodlands, wetlands and heaths.
Native Status
Native to Australia
Taxonomy
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family:
Genus: Heterodotonyx
Species: bicolor
Spotted on Jan 9, 2012
Submitted on Jan 9, 2012
