More than 2200 species of the wild flora and fauna photographed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico and the surrounding area.
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Wasps of Zihuatanejo
ORDER HYMENOPTERA
-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)
-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)
-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)
-Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies (Order Hymenoptera)
-Narrow-waisted Wasps, Ants, and Bees (Suborder Apocrita)
-Ants, Bees, and Stinging Wasps (Infraorder Aculeata)
-Spider Wasps, Velvet Ants, and Allies (Superfamily Pompiloidea)
-Spider Wasps (Family Pompilidae)
-Subfamily Pompilinae
Members of this subfamily are commonly known as spider wasps due to their specialized behavior of preying on spiders as part of their reproductive cycle. These wasps are solitary and are known for their agility, bold behavior, and unique parasitic interaction with spiders. Females actively hunt spiders, which they paralyze with a venomous sting. The immobilized spider is dragged to a prepared burrow or nest, where the wasp lays a single egg on the spider’s abdomen.
Pompilidae Spider Wasps
Pompilidae (Family)
Description
• Pompilidae is a family of wasps commonly known as spider wasps. They typically have slender bodies, long spiny legs, and narrow wings, with colouration often black or dark brown and sometimes featuring orange, red, or metallic markings. Many species have a distinctive rapid, ground-running gait. Females are well known for hunting spiders, which they paralyse with a sting before using them as food for their developing larvae.
Range
• Pompilidae occurs worldwide, with the greatest diversity in tropical and subtropical regions. Members of this family are found throughout Mexico, including Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.
Habitat
• Spider wasps inhabit a wide range of environments, including tropical forests, dry scrub, grasslands, sandy areas, gardens, and urban spaces. Adults often forage on the ground or visit flowers for nectar. Depending on the species, females may nest in soil, sand, crevices, or sheltered cavities.
Diet
• Adult spider wasps feed primarily on nectar and other sugary liquids. Females hunt spiders, sting and paralyse them, and place them in nests as provisions for their larvae. Each developing larva feeds on the spider provided by its mother, eventually pupating and emerging as an adult wasp.