In this battle, who is the aggressor and who is the victim?
In this battle, the wasp is the aggressor and the spider is the victim. The predatory spider wasp, in the family Pompilidae, stings and paralyzes this golden silk orb-weaver spider (Trichonephila clavipes) to provide a food source for its larva. Once the wasp has paralyzed the spider, it will drag the spider to a nest, lay an egg on the spider’s abdomen, and leave the spider hidden away by covering the nest with debris. After a few days, a wasp larva hatches from the egg and burrows itself into the spider’s body, where it will feed until it emerges from the nest as an adult wasp.
This week’s question is from Sarah Scott, Midlands Fruit and Vegetable Agent.
The South Carolina Grower 