hunting wasp Any wasp species in which the females seek spider or insect prey that they sting and paralyse, and then transport to the nest as food for their larvae. The term is applied to the following families (division Aculeata): Pompilidae (spider-hunting wasps), Vespidae subfamily Eumeninae (caterpillar and beetle-hunting wasps), and Ampulicidae and Sphecidae (digger wasps). In primitive pompilids and ampulicids, prey is caught before a nest is prepared, and the nest is often no more than a shallow scrape in the soil, or a pre-existing cavity. In more advanced forms, a nest is excavated or built before the prey is caught.

hunting wasp Any wasp species in which the females seek spider or insect prey that they sting and paralyse, then transport to the nest as food for their larvae. The term is applied to the following families (division Aculeata): Pompilidae (spider-hunting wasps), Vespidae subfamily Eumeninae (caterpillar and beetle-hunting wasps), and Ampulicidae and Sphecidae (digger wasps). In primitive pompilids and ampulicids, prey is caught before a nest is prepared, and the nest is often no more than a shallow scrape in the soil or a pre-existing cavity. In more advanced forms, a nest is excavated or built before the prey is caught.