Blue-black Spider Wasp vs Giant Orange Ichneumon

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Blue-black Spider Wasp Giant Orange Ichneumon
Scientific Name Anoplius viaticus Netelia producta
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Pompilidae Ichneumonidae
Size 8-15 mm 15-22 mm
Habitat Heathland Woodlands
Diet Predators Parasitoids
Regions Europe, Western Asia North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Blue-black Spider Wasp

A dark metallic blue spider wasp with orange-red abdominal bands. It hunts wolf spiders on sandy heathlands and dunes across Europe.

💡

Did You Know?

It is one of the first solitary wasps to appear each spring in northern Europe, sometimes flying as early as March.

Giant Orange Ichneumon

A large, uniformly orange ichneumon wasp commonly attracted to lights. It parasitizes caterpillars of owlet moths and geometrid moths.

💡

Did You Know?

It is one of the most frequently encountered ichneumon wasps at porch lights across North America during summer.