Heath Grasshopper vs Brazilian Wanderer Spider Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Heath Grasshopper Brazilian Wanderer Spider Wasp
Scientific Name Chorthippus vagans Pepsis fabricius
Order Orthoptera Hymenoptera
Family Acrididae Pompilidae
Size 12-18mm 35-55 mm
Habitat Heathland Heathland
Diet Herbivores Predators
Regions Europe South America (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay)
Conservation Near Threatened Least Concern

Heath Grasshopper

A small brown grasshopper confined to heathland. One of the rarest grasshoppers in Britain.

💡

Did You Know?

Confined to a handful of heathland sites in Dorset and threatened by heathland loss and scrub encroachment.

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.