![]() ![]() The other three cells failed – the egg in Cell 2 hatched and grew slowly for a week but then died, while the other two eggs did not hatch. But they do! The larvae in Cells 3 and 5 consumed all their spiders in just 7 days.īut is it indeed a Pison species? With luck, larvae 3 and 5 will continue to develop. It seems that only a sizable larva can chew through the legs and the cephalothorax of larger spiders. It’s the abdomens and smaller spiders that disappear first. They leave the hard parts of the spiders until last. They develop a series of lateral bumps that presumably provide purchase as they writhe and squirm about their cell. Within a few days of hatching they progress beyond a liquid diet and start taking solids … mouthfuls of spider, cuticle and all! The larvae are voracious feeders and grow quickly. The nest must have only recently been completed. It seems we started this journey right at the beginning. The growing larva consumes the still-living prey, one after another, then pupates and ultimately emerges as an adult.Įmbryonic development had just begun when we collected the nest – and progressed rapidly. They are known to build nests of this type and to pack each cell with multiple paralysed spiders. Pison is a cosmopolitan genus with many (~170 named) Australian species. We didn’t see her at work, so can’t be certain, but it does look like Pison handiwork. The nest is most likely the work of a Pison wasp … often referred to as mud-daubers. I was tempted to include the full photo gallery. An unconventional but effective method for photographing compliant, live spiders. The nesting wasp’s industry has provided me with a convenient sample of the local orb-weavers, demonstrating the beauty and diversity of their colours and patterns. ![]()
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