African Spider Wasp vs Lunate Ichneumon
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | African Spider Wasp | Lunate Ichneumon |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Hemipepsis capensis | Megarhyssa greenei |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Pompilidae | Ichneumonidae |
| Size | 30-50 mm | 25-40 mm body, ovipositor up to 80 mm |
| Habitat | Underground | Woodlands |
| Diet | Predators | Parasitoids |
| Regions | Southern Africa | North America |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
African Spider Wasp
A very large blue-black wasp with bright orange wings that hunts baboon spiders. It is one of Africa's largest solitary wasps.
Did You Know?
A single female can overpower and paralyze a baboon spider three times her own weight with a precisely placed sting.
Lunate Ichneumon
A reddish-brown parasitoid wasp native to North America. It targets horntail larvae in hardwood trees and uses its long ovipositor to reach them.
Did You Know?
It is the smallest of the three North American Megarhyssa species but still impressively large.