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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps » Ants, Stinging Wasps, and Hornets (Vespoidea) » Spider Wasps (Pompilidae) » Tachypompilus » Tachypompilus ferrugineus » Tachypompilus ferrugineus ferrugineus
Photo#141720
Spider wasp? - Tachypompilus ferrugineus
Copyright © 2007 Rhonda Pfaltzgraff-Carlson

Spider wasp? - Tachypompilus ferrugineus
Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, USA
August 20, 2007
Size: 2 inches or so
It seems clear to me that this is a spider wasp, but I can't get much further than that. I watched this wasp carry this spider up and across the side of our house until it went into a hole between some bricks.
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Contributed by Rhonda Pfaltzgraff-Carlson on 31 August, 2007 - 9:16pm
Last updated 12 October, 2007 - 6:39pm

Pompilidae: Spider wasps
I have always called this beast Tachypompilus ferrugineus in the eastern US and believe this genus holds the only large red spider wasps in the US. If I am not mistaken, this is also the only species of this genus in the eastern US. They specialize on larger lycosids and pisaurids, though I've never seen one tackle a full-grown Dolomedes vitattus/tenebrosus/scriptus.
… Ray Fisher, 31 August, 2007 - 11:39pm login or register to post comments

 
Yes...
T. f. ferrugineus. I'll also incorporate this into my data for the spider wasps of Ohio...it's one of the few Pompilids that can be identified in the field. The spider looks like a Lycosid. I HAVE seen them take both VERY large Lycosids and one with an adult female Dolomedes tenebrosus. Do you have any more detail than this, Rhonda? The hole in the brick was probably the nest site. E-mail me directly if there is anything that you might be able to contribute...I would greatly appreciate it.
… Nick Fensler, 1 September, 2007 - 12:49pm login or register to post comments

 
Spider Wasp...
Do you know if it is more venomous than a regular wasp or about the same? I first seen this at my home today when I was outside. It was dragging a spider.
… sherry31, 13 September, 2008 - 10:22pm login or register to post comments

 
No, it is not...
at least not significantly. It would be a very small chance that you would even get stung by a spider wasp, anyway...they are not aggressive toward humans at all.
… Nick Fensler, 15 September, 2008 - 4:50am login or register to post comments

 
Thank you
Thanks, I wouldn't have come up with all that detail!
… Rhonda Pfaltzgraff-Carlson, 1 September, 2007 - 12:44pm login or register to post comments

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