Kingdom Animalia Suborder Apocrita Phylum Arthropoda Rank Species | Class Insecta Family Pompilidae Genus Caliadurgus Order Hymenopterans | |
 | ||
Similar Hymenopterans, Anoplius nigerrimus, Evagetes, Ceropales maculata, Episyron rufipes | ||
Caliadurgus fasciatellus is a species of spider wasp from the subfamily Pepsinae found from Western Europe to the Far East of Asia.
Contents
Distribution
In Europe found from Great Britain east to Russia and Finland south to Spain and the Balkans. In Great Britain it is mainly confined to the south and east.
Description
C. fasciatellus reaches 6–10 millimetres (0.24–0.39 in) in length. The 1st and 2nd segments of the abdomen are brownish red with white spurs in the middle and hind legs.
Biology
The flight period in Britain is June to October with a peak in July and August. It is not known what plants are used by the adults for feeding on nectar.
It hunts orb web spiders of the genera Araneus and Meta. It excavates short, vertical burrows in sandy substrate once the prey has been caught. The prey is gripped in the jaws, between the thorax and abdomen, and transported to the burrow by being carried in front of the wasp. The prey is placed in a vertical position in the cell.
Habitat
Exposed dry sandy or sandy clay soils.