Batozonellus lacerticida (Pallas, 1771)
Family: Pompilidae
Length: 14mm
Batozonellus lacerticida is a spider hunting wasp and mainly hunts large orb weaver spiders (family Araneidae). The wasp paralyses a spider by poisoning, with its stinger. The spider is then taken into an underground nest, where the female wasp lays her egg, into the spider’s abdomen. When the egg hatches, the wasp’s larva begins to feed off the (not dead) parallelised spider.
When they are not hunting for spiders Batozonellus lacerticida adults are commonly found nectaring on a wide range of flowers.
Batozonellus lacerticida are more commonly found in warmer countries, around the Mediterranean Basin, from North Africa, to the Middle East. This wasp has also been recorded as far North as Sweden and over to Japan in the East.