This wasp hunts down spiders to feed its young. It seems to be from the Pompilidae family. The spider's species is obscure.
It emerged from a burrow with the creature in tow, completely stunned from the wasp's powerful sting.
The wasp even has the chance to take a break to catch up its breath...
The spider will remain in this state. The wasp will hatch its eggs and the larvae will feed off the spider's internal juices while it is still alive. I'm glad such creatures are around to keep these eight legged things' population in check. I once came across a tweet that says these things could wipe off the human population in weeks if they depended on us for food. If it's true or not I don't know, but I also don't think it's completely untrue...
These wasps' stings are very painful, with the sting from a tarantula wasp being described as "blinding, fierce, and shockingly electric." Only the bullet ant has a higher pain rating (4+) on the hymenopteran sting pain scale (Schmidt sting pain index). That probably explains my instinct to get out of there as I was taking these images, as the wasp was getting restless with my presence. I was using a kit lens (18-55mm) so I was definitely close to the subjects.
(Images by me.)
