Some spiders that eat wasps include garden spiders, crab spiders, orb-weaver spiders, house spiders, lynx spiders, and wolf spiders.
Spiders capture wasps by getting them entangled inside their webs. After that, the spider will paralyze the wasp by stinging it with its venom. While some wasps hunt spiders, you will find that many spiders eat wasps as well as other flying insects.
Spiders That Eat Wasps:
- Garden Spiders
- Crab Spiders
- Orb-Weaving Spiders
- Grey House Spiders
- Lynx Spiders
- Wolf Spiders
Spiders that Eat Wasps
Let’s take a look at the spiders that eat wasps.
1. Garden Spiders
Among the spiders that eat wasps, garden spiders are the most common spider genus that eats wasps.
The term ‘garden spider’ is a broad category. It includes all spiders that belong to the group of spiders that we call garden spiders. Most of these spiders, as the name suggests, you will find in your garden and other similar areas around your home.
Most common garden spiders eat wasps, including:
- Yellow garden spiders
- Hawaiian garden spiders
- Banded garden spiders
All of these spiders belong to the group of spiders called garden spiders. They are different in terms of color, behavior, and size, but they all have one thing in common: they hunt wasps.
They will do so by creating large-scale webs that they will use to capture wasps. These webs are sticky, so wasps cannot escape once they get stuck inside.
Garden spiders also have venom, which they use to paralyze the wasp after it gets caught in the web.
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2. Crab Spiders
Most crab spiders that hunt bees are found on or near flowers. These spiders are notorious for hunting down bees and wasps, which are all species that are commonly found floating around the flowers where crab spiders are.
Many crab spider species don’t have to create webs to capture wasps and bees. They do so by stalking, waiting for an opportunity to strike a wasp when it has landed on the ground or on a plant.
Wasps are some of the most important pollinators in the world, as they are responsible for allowing flowers and other plants to grow through pollination. But at the same time, they’re at the risk of getting caught by spiders that lurk nearby, such as crab spiders.
Some crab spider species that hunt wasps include:
- Goldenrod crab spiders
- White crab spiders
- White-banded crab spiders
- Swift crab spiders
- American green crab spiders
- Northern crab spiders
Crab spiders are also known for their strong fangs, which they will use to pin down the wasp once they catch it.
The first mechanism they will use to catch wasps will be the element of surprise, after which, they will use the raw power of their fangs before their venom finishes the job for them.
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3. Orb-Weaving Spiders
Orb-weaving spiders are highly effective at hunting flying insects and bugs, including bees, flies, and wasps.
That’s because they create orb-like webs that will allow the spider to catch large amounts of flying insects without expending too much effort.
Some orb-weaving spiders, such as the Silver garden orbweaver, will grow quite large – up to 12 mm and even larger. This will make it easier for them to capture wasps.
Some orb-weaving spiders also emit a specific type of UV light that will attract bees and wasps as they pollinate nearby flowers, which will cause the wasp to get stuck inside the large web of the orbweaver.
Among the most common orb-weaving spiders that hunt wasps include:
- Banded orb-weaving spider
- Silver garden orbweaver
- Florida garden spider
When the prey gets stuck inside the web of an orb-weaving spider, its receptors will acknowledge that and the spider will act quickly. First, it will insert the venom into the wasp after which, the wasp will be unable to resist.
4. Grey House Spiders
There are also some house spider species that will hunt wasps, such as grey house spiders.
The grey house spider is sometimes seen near or inside homes, so it was aptly called the grey house spider. It is known for having grey spots on its body and larger patches of brown hairs, which makes the spider easily distinguishable.
These spiders are commonly found in homes and rarely outdoors, so because wasps sometimes enter homes, these spiders will take the opportunity to strike.
Grey house spiders hunt using their webs, but these webs tend to be unorganized and all over the place. Still, these webs are highly effective at capturing wasps, as they are sticky, preventing the wasp to be able to escape.
5. Lynx Spiders
Lynx spiders hunt and eat wasps and other insects, using their superior camouflage to avoid detection.
Some lynx spiders also hunt down wasps, including:
- Striped lynx spider
- Green lynx spider
Lynx spiders are some of the most elusive spiders out there. They can camouflage and hide among the flowers and plants they find themselves around, which makes it tough for wasps and bees to spot them.
They will pounce and wait for their opportunity once a wasp flies to a nearby plant. The lynx spider will strike when the wasp is not ready for it because the lynx spider is very good at hiding.
6. Wolf Spiders
Wolf spiders sometimes hunt wasps. While they prefer ground-dwelling animals and creatures they can prey on, wolf spiders also sometimes hunt flying insects like wasps.
To hunt wasps, wolf spiders have to be very careful not to get spotted. They will wait outside near flowers or plants where wasps are, so they will be able to surprise the wasp and strike.
Even though wolf spiders are one of the best hunting spiders in the world, they prefer to eat other foods than wasps, though.
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Conclusion
Spiders that eat wasps include garden spiders, lynx spiders, some house spiders, as well as wolf spiders, and crab spiders.
Most spiders that hunt wasps are found near or on flowers where they will hide or create large webs that will catch these insects.
Stuart is the editor of Fauna Facts. He edits our writers’ work as well as contributing his own content. Stuart is passionate about sustainable farming and animal welfare and has written extensively on cows and geese for the site.