Will they visit?: Spider Wasps frequently visit home gardens
Natural Distribution: Common and widespread throughout the South West and Perth region
Pompilidae – (CC)Bill & Mark Bell. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia License (Atlas of Living Australia)
Pompilidae -(CC) Pam Piombino. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia License (Atlas of Living Australia)
Pompilidae – (CC)rbeunen. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia License (Atlas of Living Australia)
Pompilidae – (CC)Shelley Moore. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia License (Atlas of Living Australia)
Habitat at a Glance
See Habitat Guide for more detail
Shelter: Burrows, rock crevices, small tree hollows
Diet: Flying insects and nectar
Water: Shallow bird baths and large ponds
ReWild Benefit: Pest control and pollination
Habitat Guide - Shelter
Natural Shelter
Spider Wasps dig burrows in soils where they shelter during the night and lay their eggs. Spider Wasps have a distinctive habit jumping along the ground when searching through the leaf litter, shedding bark, or rocky environments for spiders. Large logs and rocks will be prized perching sites for a resident Spider Wasp to survey the garden.
Novel Shelter
Not required.
Habitat Guide - Food and Water
Providing natural sources of food
Spider Wasps are solitary and primarily feed on nectar and occasionally other invertebrates. Females hunt spiders to feed their young (particularly Hunstman Spiders!). A garden with a variety of flowering shrubs, trees and groundcovers to provide foraging habitat.
Avoid commercial non-native seeds advertised for bee gardens. These plants may not be suitable for native wasps and have the potential to become serious weeds.
Providing sources of water
Spider wasps will visit bird baths and ponds for a drink. Frog ponds are popular breeding and foraging habitat for Spider Wasps. Wasps run the risk of drowning if they fall into a bird bath or pond. Placing partially submerged rocks or sticks will provide an avenue for a bee to safely leave the water.
ReWild Benefits
Spider wasps are not aggressive, but will sting if handled. Native wasps are critical in sustaining local biodiversity as they can pollinate a greater variety of native plants compared to honeybees. Similarly, they prey on pest species such as flies. If you see this wasp in your garden, you can record your sighting on the Atlas of Living Australia.
