Spider wasps look fearsome and have an intimidating reputation to boot. But are spider wasps dangerous to humans, or have they been unfairly maligned? Let’s find out
When added to the name of any insect, the word wasp immediately creeps out most people. But if you add the word spider on top, the effect is magnified!
Despite its name and threatening appearance, spider wasps feed on nectar and aren’t aggressive at all.
The spider wasp belongs to the Insecta class of the Arthropoda Phylum. These insects (they are wasps, not arachnids) are also known as pompilid wasps because they are part of the Pompilidae family.
Found all across the world, there are over 5,000 species of spider wasp spread across six distinct subfamilies.
These wasps get their name from their ability to capture and paralyze spiders, often twice their size, and use them as fodder for their larvae.
What is This Bug?
Spider wasps are solitary insects. Each female works alone to create her own nest and rear her family instead of making a nesting colony like most bees.
Spider wasps are most often nectarivores. These charcoal-black flying bugs feed themselves by sucking nectar from flowers and overripened fruits.
Despite their daunting appearance, they are seldom aggressive since they don’t have a colony to defend.
The most commonly found species of spider wasps in North America is Cryptocheilus bicolor. Their trademark orange band on the abdomen and bright-colored wings and legs help to identify them quickly.
These wasps predominantly live in wetlands, heath, forests, and dense woodlands. In particular, you might often find them near tree barks and crevices inside them.
What Do They Look Like?
Spider wasps usually have visible veins (venations) on the wings, groves, and bands.
Most adult spider wasps have either amber or dark grey wings, yellow-orange legs, and a distinctive pair of antennae.
They also have a pair of spines on the hind limbs pointed toward the foot.
The wasps have three pairs of legs on the thorax and abdomen. Their body is tube-shaped and has plates covering both sides.
The female wasp is larger than the male. It can grow up to 1 inch in size, while male wasps usually do not extend beyond 0.5 inches.
Why Are They Called Spider Wasps
They are commonly known as spider wasps because of a very peculiar habit. Even though the adult spider wasp usually feeds off only nectar from flowers, the females also attack spiders.
They tranquilize them with a venomous sting and then drag them back to their nest. The paralyzed spider, still alive, become food for the wasp’s larvae.
This strange behavior only occurs when they are ready to lay their eggs, and infact they lay the eggs on the spiders’ abdomen itself.
Are They Harmful To Humans?
Spider wasps are known to tackle spiders twice their size and weight. However, their aggression is limited only to spiders and other spider wasps (during mating).
These wasps usually avoid bigger predators and humans and fly away when they detect danger. They rarely show threatening behavior towards humans.
How Painful is the Sting of Spider Wasp?
Though most spider wasps are not very aggressive, a few species can have an excruciating sting. The tarantula hawk species has one of the most painful stings in the world.
Created by an entomologist named Justin O. Schmidt, the Schmidt Pain Index rates their sting at the highest value of 4. While a 0 rating indicates a painless sting, a 4 is the most severe sting in the world.
Schmidt described the sting of a tarantula hawk as the most excruciating torture of a burning sensation combined with a constant electric shock.
The only other insect rated with a more painful sting is the South African bullet ant, and the reason is that their pain can last a whole day, while that of the tarantula hawk lasts only a few minutes.
Are They Poisonous or Venomous?
Spider wasps have defensive stingers that inject venom to paralyze prey. This allows them to carry the spider easily into their nest.
The paralysis can last anywhere between a few hours to weeks. If the larvae do not hatch from the egg till then, the spider might be able to walk away from its ordeal.
Unfortunately, this is rarely the case.
The venom includes alpha and beta pompildotoxin that disrupts the functioning of the spiders’ cortical neurons, causing the spiders to go into a comatose state.
So, yes, they do have venom in their sting. However, this venom does not impact humans or other vertebrates who have different neurological setups.
Are They Aggressive?
Interestingly the spider wasp belongs to the same family as the dangerous Hornet Wasp, but their temperaments are entirely different.
Spider wasps are nervous flyers that seldom come in contact with humans. They are the least aggressive, especially towards bigger animals, unless someone provokes them.
If disturbed, they can deliver a very painful sting. However, if left alone, their aggression is solely focused on spiders.
What Can You Do if A Spider Wasp Stings You?
Spider wasps sting is harmless for those who do not have any allergic conditions to bug and wasp stings.
However, if you are allergic, it is important to report to the nearest medical center and seek help immediately.
An allergic reaction might result in an anaphylactic shock, so it is important to keep an epinephrin injection on yourself when you are around bees and wasps.
The normal localized reaction after being stung includes redness, swelling, itchiness, burning sensations, and hives in a few cases.
Severe symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, etc.
Here is what you can do to mitigate the problem:
- The first step is to immediately look for any stingers embedded into the skin and remove them with a tweezer or any such device but never with bare hands.
- Clean the area well and disinfect before applying a cold pack to reduce swelling and localized rise in temperature.
- Take Antihistamine or corticosteroid ointment application to reduce the discomfort.
- Over-the-counter Acetaminophen should also be taken to reduce the pain.
How To Control Them in Your Home or Garden?
Spider wasps are solitary insects; hence they are never seen in clusters or groups. Once identified, the easiest solution is just swatting them away or killing them.
However, it isn’t easy to find the nest of a wasp. If you find one, localized spraying with anti-wasp aerosols can help immediately remove the nest and the wasp.
Take care to do this at night since the wasps are inactive at that time.
Do not use any insecticides. Using pesticides in the garden can cause the death of naturally found beneficial insects such as beetles and ladybugs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if you get stung by a spider wasp?
Spider wasp bite is not life-threatening for humans. It can only cause localized reactions like pain, swelling, hives, etc.
It can generally be treated with ointments, creams, and over-the-counter medications like analgesics and antihistamines.
In the rare instance of an allergic reaction or shock, its important to seek medical intervention immediately.
The most common sign of a severe reaction to a wasp sting is shortness of breath, extreme uncoordinated movement, rise in body temperature, hives, etc.
Do spider wasps bite or sting?
Spider wasps do not have claws or mouthparts to bite. However, they have stingers that they use to deliver extremely painful stings by injecting venom into the skin.
The Spider wasp sting can be excruciatingly painful and lasts anywhere between 3 to 5 minutes.
Where are spider wasps located?
Spider wasps are found all over the world. With over 5,000 species spread across six subfamilies, these insects are a common sight in most gardens, wetlands, and even amidst dry arid conditions of the deserts.
What is the fastest way to heal a wasp sting?
The easiest way to deal with the pain caused by a wasp sting is to remove the stinger, disinfect the area and follow it with an ice pack compression.
A cold compress can reduce the burning sensation and swelling caused by the sting. Follow it with a localized steroidal or antihistamine ointment.
Scary, But Not Aggressive!
With its fearsome-looking body, a spider wasp can be an alarming sight in your lovely garden.
However, these wasps pose little threat to humans and can be left alone.
If your garden is infested with spiders and other arachnids, welcoming a few spider wasps can even do your garden good. Thank you for reading!
