Entypus unifasciatus explained

Entypus unifasciatus is a species of spider wasp in the family Pompilidae.

Description

Theses spider wasps are black with a bluish sheen, yellow antennae, and wings ranging from mostly orange to mostly black with an orange band near the apex.

Range

Entypus unifasciatus occurs from transcontinental North America, except in the northwest, to South America.

Ecology

Female wasps paralyze large spiders and deposit them in burrows. The wasp lays a fertilized egg upon the spider; after hatching, the larva feeds on the living but paralyzed spider until maturing into a pupa that overwinters, and emerges as a winged adult next summer.

Taxonomy

Entypus unifasciatus contains the following subspecies: