Orange Spider Wasp

Finke Gorge National Park

FaunaBlack Headed Goanna Clam Shrimp Denham Stick-insect Nasutitermes triodiae Orange Spider Wasp Pied Butcherbird Sand Goanna Scarlet Percher Shield Shrimp Spinifex Pigeon Western Bowerbird – Finke Gorge NP Yellow-faced Whip Snake

The following spider wasp was photographed in Palm Valley, dragging its prey — the Desert Huntsman (Isopedella inola) to its nest. A solitary species, the Orange Spider Wasp (Cryptocheilus bicolor) is a large, orange and black coloured spider wasp from the family Pompilidae. They are also known as the Spider Hunting Wasp.

The female can be up to 35 mm in length, have orange-brown coloured wings, a black thorax and black eyes, with the black extending down to the abdomen. There are two broad orange bands. The head, legs and antenna are orange in colour.

The female wasps prepare a nest chamber, either as a burrow in the ground, on tree trunks or made out of mud. The female then hunts for a spider, which they paralyse by stinging the spider and dragging it back to their nest chamber. They lay an egg on the spider’s body. The larva will hatch and feed internally on the spider’s bodily fluids.

Check out our Insects > Wasps > Orange Spider Wasp (Cryptocheilus bicolor) and
Spiders > Australian Huntsman > Isopedella inola

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• Scientific classification
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Arthopoda
• Subphylum: Hexapoda
• Class: Insecta
• Subclass: Pterygota
• Order: Hymenoptera
• Suborder: Apocrita
• Infraorder: Aculeata
• Superfamily: Pompiloidea
• Family: Pompilidae
• Subfamily: Pepsinae
• Tribe: Pepsini
• Genus: Cryptocheilus
• Species: Cryptocheilus bicolor

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Finke Gorge National ParkCamping & Picnic Area Boggy Hole Palm Valley Fauna Flora

FaunaBlack Headed Goanna Clam Shrimp Denham Stick-insect Nasutitermes triodiae Orange Spider Wasp Pied Butcherbird Sand Goanna Scarlet Percher Shield Shrimp Spinifex Pigeon Western Bowerbird – Finke Gorge NP Yellow-faced Whip Snake