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© Mike Picker & Charles Griffiths |
Female capturing an
Orb-web spider (Araneidae), in its web
© Mike Picker & Charles Griffiths |
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Batozonellus fuliginosus feeding on the nectar of the boegoe,
Agathosma bisulca. Imaged 23rd October 2012: S 32 8'28'' E 18
36'59'' about 2 km E of Graafwater (photograph
© Jonathan Ball). |
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A large
Spider-hunting wasp Batozonellus fuliginosus feeding on
nectar from Euphorbia flowers
(photograph © Duncan Butchart). |
Distribution
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Central Africa, Congo, Ethiopia, Madagascar, South Africa,
Uganda, Yemen, Zimbabwe. |
Biology |
Females hunt
Orb-web spiders (Araneidae), capturing the spider in its web, to
provision their nest with. Adult wasps feed on nectar for their energy
requirements. |
References |
Arnold, G. 1937. The Psammocharidae of the Ethiopian
region. Part VII. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 19: 1-98.
Gess, F.W. & Gess S.K. 1980.
Spider vanquishers: the nesting of Tachyompilus
ignitus (Smith)
and Batozonellus
fuliginosus (Klug).
The Eastern Cape Naturalist
69: 4-7.
Picker,
M., Griffiths, C & Weaving, A. 2002. Field Guide to Insects of South Africa.
Struik Publishers, Cape Town. |
Credits
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Photographs
of pinned specimen by Nadene Smith © Iziko Museums. Photographs of living specimens © Duncan Butchart
or © Jonathan Ball or © Mike Picker & Charles Griffiths (University of Cape Town) (published
in Struik's
Field Guide to Insects of South Africa).
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