Orange Spider Wasp vs Cascade Damselfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Orange Spider Wasp Cascade Damselfly
Scientific Name Cryptocheilus australis Thaumatoneura inopinata
Order Hymenoptera Odonata
Family Pompilidae Thaumatoneuridae
Size 20-30 mm 55-65 mm
Habitat Indoors Forests
Diet Predators Predators
Regions Australia, Oceania Central America
Conservation Least Concern Vulnerable

Orange Spider Wasp

A striking orange and black spider wasp that hunts large ground-dwelling spiders across Australia. Its vivid colouration serves as a warning to predators of its powerful sting.

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Did You Know?

Female spider wasps engage in elaborate prey-handling behaviours, sometimes caching spiders temporarily while they dig the final burrow.

Cascade Damselfly

A rare damselfly found only near waterfalls in Central American cloud forests.

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Did You Know?

Its larvae develop on wet rocks behind waterfall spray zones.