Brazilian Wanderer Spider Wasp vs New Zealand Tiger Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Brazilian Wanderer Spider Wasp | New Zealand Tiger Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pepsis fabricius | Neocicindela tuberculata |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Pompilidae | Cicindelidae |
| Size | 35-55 mm | 10-14 mm |
| Habitat | Heathland | Deserts & Drylands |
| Diet | Predators | Predators |
| Regions | South America (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay) | Oceania (New Zealand) |
| 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.
New Zealand Tiger Beetle
An endemic tiger beetle found on sandy and clay soils throughout New Zealand. It is an active visual predator that runs down prey on bare ground. The larvae are ambush predators that live in vertical burrows in the soil.
Did You Know?
New Zealand tiger beetles run so fast relative to their size that they temporarily go blind during pursuit, having to stop and re-locate their prey before sprinting again.