Episyron gallicum
| Episyron gallicum | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Suborder: | Apocrita |
| Family: | Pompilidae |
| Genus: | Episyron |
| Species: | E. gallicum |
| Binomial name | |
| Episyron gallicum Tournier, 1889[1] | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Episyron gallicum is a spider-eating wasp which, as its name suggests has a distribution centred on France.
Habits
It hunts terrestrial spiders which hunt their prey such as Wolf spiders as opposed to web weaving spiders. The spider is paralysed with a sting and then the helpless spider is sealed in a tunnel and the wasp lays an egg on it. The grub dines on the living spider when it hatches.[2]
Habitat
Open terrain with loose sandy soil.[3]
Distribution
Southern Europe but has recently expanded its range into Poland, Germany and the United Kingdom.[3]