''Tachypompilus analis'', the red-tailed spider wasp is a species of spider wasp found in most of tropical and subtropical Asia, north to Japan. These spider wasps often hunt

huntsman spider Huntsman spiders, members of the family Sparassidae (formerly Heteropodidae), are known by this name because of their speed and mode of hunting. They are also called giant crab spiders because of their size and appearance. Larger species sometim ...

Description

''T. analis'' is a medium-sized to large wasp with females in mainland

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

measuring between 16 and 21 mm, while the smaller males measure 11 mm in length; island populations tend to be smaller. It is almost completely black except for the last four, in females, or last five , in males,

metasoma The metasoma is the posterior part of the body, or tagma, of arthropods whose body is composed of three parts, the other two being the prosoma and the mesosoma. In insects, it contains most of the digestive tract, respiratory system, and circula ...

l segments, which are bright orange or red and give rise to the common name, red-tailed spider wasp.

Biology

''T. anailis'' preys on spiders from the families

Sparassidae Huntsman spiders, members of the family Sparassidae (formerly Heteropodidae), are known by this name because of their speed and mode of hunting. They are also called giant crab spiders because of their size and appearance. Larger species sometim ...

Agelenidae The Agelenidae are a large family of spiders in the suborder Araneomorphae. Well-known examples include the common "grass spiders" of the genus ''Agelenopsis''. Nearly all Agelenidae are harmless to humans, but the bite of the hobo spider (''Erat ...

, and Amaurobiidae. In Japan, ''

Heteropoda venatoria ''Heteropoda venatoria'' is a species of spider in the family Sparassidae, the huntsman spiders. It is native to the tropical regions of the world, and it is present in some subtropical areas as an introduced species. Its common names include gi ...

'' has been recorded being preyed on by this species. The wasp can easily penetrate the most complex webs and the prey is flushed and pursued; the web does provide some protection for the spider, but the wasp persists in attacking until the spider drops out of the web to the ground, where the wasp stings and paralyses the spider. Once captured, the prey is dragged backwards by its pedipalps, sometimes leaving the prey to inspect either the route or the nest at which point the prey could be kleptoparasitised by other females of ''T. analis'', although females will fight to defend their prey in these circumstances. The prey is placed in a conical cavity excavated by the female, which may fold its legs to fit it in, and once

oviposition The ovipositor is a tube-like organ used by some animals, especially insects, for the laying of eggs. In insects, an ovipositor consists of a maximum of three pairs of appendages. The details and morphology of the ovipositor vary, but typical ...

has taken place the spoil is used to cover the nest, although pre-existing cavities may also be used. As in other spider wasps, the males often patrol the nesting areas so that they can mate with the newly emerged females. ''

Irenangelus luzonensis ''Ireangelus'' is a genus of Cleptoparasitism, kleptoparasitic spider wasps from the sub-family Ceropalinae of the family Pompilidae. The genus has a pan tropical distribution, being known from Oriental, Neotropical, Australian, eastern Palearctic ...

'' is recorded as kleptoparasitising ''T. analis'' in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, while other species of ''

Irenangelus ''Ireangelus'' is a genus of kleptoparasitic spider wasps from the sub-family Ceropalinae of the family Pompilidae. The genus has a pan tropical distribution, being known from Oriental, Neotropical, Australian, eastern Palearctic, and Madagascan ...

'' are also recorded as kleptoprarasites of ''T. analis''. Tachinid flies are known to attack and consume spiders which have been immobilised by ''T. analis'', and scuttle flies and satellite flies may also consume spiders preyed on by these wasps.

Distribution

''T. analis'' is a widespread species, being found from the

Nansei Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonagun ...

of Japan through

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

and the

and across southeast and southern Asia; it is also found in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q26715647 Insects described in 1781 Pompilinae