Interesting Wasp (1 Viewer)

[eucman]

I was enjoying a nice visit with some friends on a northern Lake Michigan beach and had the unique pleasure of watching this wasp work on its burrow. Next thing I know it is enlarging the entrance so this spider may fit!

 

[maplekong]

Hi, don't know much about wasps but is this actually a wasp? It is interesting, I hope someone else will answer soon.

 

[etudiant]

Seems these spider wasps are pretty successful, some 5000 species world wide according to Wikipedia. (Spider wasp - Wikipedia )
Their sting is apparently quite painful.

 

[KC Foggin]

Looks like a wasp I sure don't want to come across.

 

[Jim M.]

Yes, definitely a spider wasp. Possibly genus Anoplius--called blue-black spider wasps. They paralyze spiders with their sting, store them in their burrows, and then the larval wasps feed on the spiders. Never heard of any stinging people before; they don't act aggressively towards people like social wasps defending a nest.

 

[eucman]

Yes, definitely a spider wasp. Possibly genus Anoplius--called blue-black spider wasps. They paralyze spiders with their sting, store them in their burrows, and then the larval wasps feed on the spiders. Never heard of any stinging people before; they don't act aggressively towards people like social wasps defending a nest.

My son and I were debating this and we settled on a great black wasp. He argued that due to the fact that it spent 1/2 the day digging the burrow that it was in the digger wasp likelihood.
He was pretty sure the prey was a type of wolf spider.
I wish I would have witnessed the moment it brought the spider. It seems almost impossible that it could have flown with it!