Evening star., 1949-10-06
This and That
By Charles E. TraceweH
"St. Petersburg, Fla.

SL EcItlSUuI8, c1d.
Dear Sir: >
THE other day observed an illustration
of Tennyson's Nature, red in tooth and
claw noticed large spider, a Lycosa,
running rapidly up the trunk of palm
tree few feet from the house, and q medium
sized brown wasp. which have not identi-
fed, flying around and up the same tree.
When the wasp reached the top and dis
appeared among the stems, the spider
emerged from them and ran down the tree
into the grass at its foot The wasp flew
down again and also went into the grass, and
the spider ran part way up the trunk.
THE wasp again took wing. and circled
upward. passing near the spider as though
not seeing it,
After ascending farther, the spider ran
down to within perhaps three feet of the
base and leaped to the grass. landing 18 or
20 inches from the tree. 1t then hurried to-
ward the house wall by leaping, covering a
foot or more at each jump.
"The wasp descended and followed the
spiders general direction, then few back
and forth near the ground for some time.
When she approached the wall where the
spider waited. the latter ran up the wall five
or six feet, then turned around as though to
watch. Evidently 1t could see the wasp.
wasp flew higher and higher, still coursing,
until she approached the spider from below.
when she was within about three inches
the spider sprang at her, and both fell to the
ground.
'The wasp seized one of the spiders hind
legs and held on, but soon they grappled and
fought fiercely for a few moments. In
short time, however, the wasp managed to
gain the position she wanted. astride the
spiders back. and then she sank her sting
into the cephalothorax back of the eyes,
THE spider was paralyzed.
1T showed no further sign of life except
slight tremors in the legs
THE wasp rested awhile, cleaning herself,
then dragged her prey away.
1T was interesting that whereas the spider
seemed to see the wasp even at considerable
distance, the wasp appeared to follow the
spider by means Of some sense other than
sight, perhaps smell, as her pursuit was
erratic and indirect. If she had seen the
spider clearly she could have struck it on the
tree trunk
"The spiders obvious terror evidently
Sprang fom deep-Seated instinct resulting
from natural selection; only spiders with that
instructive fear of wasps could survive and
1t would have saved this one if she could have
found hiding place.
"The waSp's unhurried relentleSsness was
perhaps the most moving aspect of the in
cident One cannot take sides in thing
like this, however, kindly are ones feelings
for all small creatures. One pities the spider
hunted to death, but one must also sympa-
thize with the wasp's instinct to prepare
sustenance for the offspring she will never
see. Yours truly, P. R. B."
Spiders are perhaps the favorite wasp food.
Many sorts Of Wasps use them, first, para
lying than in the manner so vividly de-
scribed above, and then storing them in the
cells of the nests
The cicada killer is big wasp that para
lyzes and consumes the cicadas. They are
food for the larva of the wasp.
1t is said that when this wasp. about an
inch and a quarter long, becomes tired of
flying with its paralyzed prey, it will drag 1t
along the ground.
The giant tarantula killer is familiar in
the Southwest. The wasps do not always
win, sometimes being killed by the big hairy
tarantula -
Small wasps that dig in sand. banks use
paralyzed spiders. Mud daubers do the same
thing. One Investigator found 260 small
spiders in 20 cells. That's packing 'em In.
This way of always having fresh meat is
an improvement, in cruel sense, over man S
deep freezes. The wasps need no refrigera-
ton. because their meat is still alive, and
stays that way until eaten.
Totalitarian conquerers of the future may
take leaf from the book of the wasps, and
paralyze their slave laborers to keep from
feeding them during slack times.