About the Asian Red-Tailed Spider Wasp
Tachypompilus analis, the red-tailed spider wasp is a species of spider wasp found in most of tropical and subtropical Asia, north to Japan. These spider wasps often hunt huntsman spiders. T. analis is a medium-sized to large wasp with females in mainland China measuring between 16 and 21 mm, while the smaller males measure 11 mm in length; island populations tend to be smaller. It is almost completely black except for the last four, in females, or last five, in males, metasomal segments, which are bright orange or red and give rise to the common name, red-tailed spider wasp.
T. anailis preys on spiders from the families Sparassidae, Agelenidae, and Amaurobiidae. In Japan, Heteropoda venatoria has been recorded being preyed on by this species. The wasp can easily penetrate the most complex webs and the prey is flushed and pursued; the web does provide some protection for the spider, but the wasp persists in attacking until the spider drops out of the web to the ground, where the wasp stings and paralyses the spider. Once captured, the prey is dragged backwards by its pedipalps, sometimes leaving the prey to inspect either the route or the nest at which... Wikipedia →