Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1889-09-20
A Spider-Hunting Wasps.

Not long since, while was enjoying a
siesta on the porch, my attention was sud
denly attracted By seeing very large
spider running up the body Of tree about
ten feet away. The spider seemed 10 be
very much excited, and after he had run
up the body of the tree about six feet, he
ran out ali a side limb. and after he had
gone about eight feet out on this limb. he
dropped off to the ground No sooner had
he had struck the ground than he com
meuced headlnng flight through the
grass of the lawn. After he had run about
five feet on the ground. | saw very large
wasp. about two inches long following the
track of the spider on the tree. The wasp
was running and Tapping his wings in a
nervous manner, hut was not flying at all
In a few minutes the wasp arrived at the
spot whers the spider had dropped off
of, which, by the way was about ten feet
from the ground. Here the wasp became
very much excited, and ran rapidly back
and forth about minute. Then Lie took
flight, flew To the root of the tree, where
saw him at first, and ran up the track
again Soon he arrived at the jumping off
place, and again became very excited, run
ming round and round, and Tapping his
wings nervously. Suddenly the wasp stop
ped, and appeared to be thinking Ger
tainly his actions bore out this conclusion,
for he closed his wings and dropped off the
limb, Just where the spider had dropped.
Arriving at the ground, he recommended
the search, and away he went, just exactly
a. a hound would have followed a deer.
After running about ten feet on the
ground, he overlook his prey.
The spider either saw or heard his enc
my coming, for without waiting to be over
taken, he threw himself upon his back,
with his feet in the air, and in this posture
awaited the attack. The wasp lost no time
in beginning, but, to my surprise, seemed
to be somewhat afraid of the spider. The
wasp took to his wings and would fly
round and round the spider, and now and
then make sudden thrust at him. The
spider would, at these times. jump forward
and seemed to be trying to catch the wasp
The wasp was too agile, however, to be
caught Suddenly the wasp made an at
tack, stung the spider, and in less than
halfa second the spider was perfectly dead.
Electricity could not have killed him quick
er. The wasp, after satisfying himself that
his prey was dead, sat on the grass nearby
and proceeded to rest himself for his vio-
lent efforts had exhausted him. After rest
ing about two minutes he approached the
spider, and, after examining him critically
with his antenna, straddled him, and pro
ceeded to bear him away.
Just here put in a say-so and captured
wasp and spider, and inundated both to
my scientific curiosity. This occurrence
would seem Ia show that the wasp can
track by smell, and can likewise reason,
else why did he drop from the limbi I re
gret to say that | neglected to keep the
spider and observe whether he had been
really killed, or only put into the lethargie
condition into which our dirt daubers put
their spiders.
| am not versed in entomology sufficient
ly to give the technical names of either
wasp or spider. The spider was very large
his abdomen being about half an inch
long S. Frierson, in Popular Science
Ners.