Brazilian Wanderer Spider Wasp vs Japanese Horntail
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Brazilian Wanderer Spider Wasp | Japanese Horntail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pepsis fabricius | Eriotremex formosanus |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Pompilidae | Siricidae |
| Size | 35-55 mm | 20-35 mm |
| Habitat | Heathland | Woodlands |
| Diet | Predators | Wood Feeders |
| Regions | South America (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay) | East Asia, Taiwan, introduced to southeastern United States |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Brazilian Wanderer Spider Wasp
A large metallic blue-black spider wasp with bright orange wings that hunts tarantulas as food for its larvae. The female paralyzes a tarantula with her sting, then drags it to a burrow where a single egg is laid on the spider. The larva consumes the still-living spider from the inside.
Did You Know?
Its sting is rated among the most painful of all insect stings, scoring a 4 out of 4 on the Schmidt Pain Index.
Japanese Horntail
A large wood wasp with a robust reddish-brown body and dark wings. Native to East Asia, it attacks stressed and recently felled hardwood trees.
Did You Know?
This species was first detected in North America in 1974 and is one of the few tropical siricid wood wasps to establish invasive populations.