Horned Baboon Spider-hunting Wasp vs Indian Spider Wasp
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Horned Baboon Spider-hunting Wasp | Indian Spider Wasp |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Sphex tomentosus | Hemipepsis tamisieri |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Sphecidae | Pompilidae |
| Size | 25-35 mm | 25-45 mm |
| Habitat | Deserts & Drylands | Heathland |
| Diet | Predators | Predators |
| Regions | East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda) | Africa, Middle East |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Horned Baboon Spider-hunting Wasp
A large, solitary wasp with a black body and metallic blue-green sheen. It hunts grasshoppers and katydids, paralyzing them and provisioning underground nest cells.
Did You Know?
French naturalist Jean-Henri Fabre's observations of this wasp's rigid behavioral routines led to famous debates about insect intelligence.
Indian Spider Wasp
A large dark-winged spider wasp from Africa and the Middle East that hunts large burrowing spiders. It is one of the biggest pompilids in the Old World.
Did You Know?
Like its American tarantula hawk relatives, it possesses one of the most painful stings of any African insect.