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Waspspider Or Spiderwasp?

Is it possible that a common house spider of the large brown variety could achieve the exact same body stripes as a wasp?
 
Are you sure it wasn't a wasp sitting on a spider, or a spider sitting on a wasp, while one consumed the other? And then you squished one body into the other by mistake?
No. This was just one living working organism terrorising me in my living room
 
Are you sure it wasn't a wasp sitting on a spider, or a spider sitting on a wasp, while one consumed the other? And then you squished one body into the other by mistake?
No...just a single living organism going about my living room. It meant business.
 
Upon it first catching my eye about two thirds the way up the opposite wall in the living room....It was camouflaged on a navy blue background of floral vinyl wallpaper. Hideous I know...I had just moved in and had plenty to correct in the property. It stuck out because the long skinny legs pointed to the wasp body. I didn't go face to face with it only as close as I needed to to actually see what the critter was. And not too close in case it was a "jumper". It wasn't a scurrying mover....It sat there for a whole day while I was at work and I gave it the living room that evening. But obviously that night it had found it's way to me.
 
The flat was a no fines poured concrete type 2 up 2 down. It contained layer upon layer of carpet so that no door could be open or closed. Complete with fleas and interesting smells. The wallpaper was the same...many layers all hideous.
 
No heating. Built in the 60s. It was the upper floor flat.....that someone in their early 20s had to have a pay through the nose mortgage to gain the privilege of living in while making it livable and loveable. So there you have the perfect habitat of this cryptid:)
 
Are you sure it wasn't a wasp sitting on a spider, or a spider sitting on a wasp, while one consumed the other? And then you squished one body into the other by mistake?

Oh yes, that reminds me of another time . . . I was a child of about 10. . .
I revived a dying butterfly with some sugar water and whilst it got its strength back, in preparation to fly I carefully placed it on a spray of Lilac tree flowers and went inside for a bit.

I went out later to check if my patient had gone and was surprised to see it still there - but looking somewhat different.
Looking closer, a wasp had landed on (and was standing on) its back - eating its head !

Ah yes another traumatic memory uncovered. Thank you Forteans
 
Ah yes another traumatic memory uncovered.

Not exactly traumatic, but I got a bit of a shock...

When I was young I would collect caterpillars and rear them to adults in large jars which I kept on my bedroom windowsill. Red Admirals and Small Tortoiseshell were two I remember well as I woke up one sunny morning to find them all newly emerged to their adult state, very docile and clinging to the curtains. I also have happy memories of keeping the Magpie Moth - the larva, pupa and adult all being beautiful and striking to look at.
Next door had a gooseberry bush which one year was covered in these

 larvae on willow.jpg

which I collected a few specimens of to see what they would turn into. What I learned that summer was that you can tell butterfly larva from other insects' larva by the number of back legs or 'sucker feet' they have. The ones in the image have too many to be Lepidoptera. Imagine my horror when a couple of weeks later I ended up with a jar full of these.

Sawflies.

KK6KSKB0.jpg
 
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That's brilliant! :) ...gardens always have lessons to teach.
 
Is it possible that a common house spider of the large brown variety could achieve the exact same body stripes as a wasp?

For what it's worth, common house spiders (usually Tegenaria domestica in the UK, I think) do have rather beautiful stripes on their abdomens if observed closely, but the stripes are simply different shades of brown. And they have a matt body finish rather than a wasp's shiny abdomen.
 
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The only thing I don't remember is the head....I don't recall it having a wasp head with antennas. So it must have been a spider.
 
The only thing I don't remember is the head....I don't recall it having a wasp head with antennas. So it must have been a spider.

I've no idea what your creature was but I am awfully glad that it was on your wall and not mine. ;)
 
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I've photos somewhere of a largish (2") huntsman being dragged along by a european wasp out on my front patio. Quite the spectacle. The huntsman was clearly incapacitated and at the mercy of the winged beasty. I'll see if I can find the pics.
 
I've photos somewhere of a largish (2") huntsman being dragged along by a european wasp out on my front patio. Quite the spectacle. The huntsman was clearly incapacitated and at the mercy of the winged beasty. I'll see if I can find the pics.

<shriek> But yes please to the pics. :)
 
I think a spider....and I won't be dwelling in a flat again.
Only 3 neighbours, none of us kept any exotic pets and just did normal boring jobs etc. Maybe it came in through the window attached by the bowfing wallpaper.
 
For what it's worth, common house spiders (usually Tegenaria domestica in the UK, I think) do have rather beautiful stripes on their abdomens if observed closely, but the stripes are simply different shades of brown. And they have a matt body finish rather than a wasp's shiny abdomen.
It was a wasp abdomen no doubts, shiny etc
 
Only 3 neighbours, none of us kept any exotic pets and just did normal boring jobs etc. Maybe it came in through the window attached by the bowfing wallpaper.
Well when I say normal boring jobs...The neighbour below was a couple with a young family and a dog. The other downstairs neighbour was a retired pensioner. My upstairs neighbour was another small family and the guy was a psychiatric nurse at carstairs. (He was brilliant!) And I worked at that time at Pentland science park at the Bush estate Edinburgh. In quality control.
 
Well when I say normal boring jobs...The neighbour below was a couple with a young family and a dog. The other downstairs neighbour was a retired pensioner. My upstairs neighbour was another small family and the guy was a psychiatric nurse at carstairs. (He was brilliant!) And I worked at that time at Pentland science park at the Bush estate Edinburgh. In quality control.
The guys at work laughed at my spider fright saga because I was too scared to capture or kill it.
 
The guys at work laughed at my spider fright saga because I was too scared to capture or kill it.
The only advice I got was that if one intended to live on ones own one would be required to develop braveness in all sorts of ways. Anyway, after a couple of years living by myself . My colleagues took matters into their own hands and made me do online dating all vetted by them at work.....most sentences from them began with....do you like this one?
 
It made Monday morning how was your weekend chat, far more interesting than....there was a spider and I had to leave.
 
This Summer I watched a fight to the death between a large house spider and a small wasp.
The spider battled bravely but succumbed to a wasp sting and fell still.

The wasp bit through its middle and flew off though the conservatory door with the spiders thorax.
Ten minutes later the wasp came back, neatly removed a couple of legs and flew off again.
This slow dismemberment continued until all parts had been carried off and finally the wasp came back one more time - just to check.

Amazing how something so small can have such accurate gps and organisational skills !

A spider in my garden caught a wasp in its web and wrapped it up. I posted a photo on Facebook - 'Spider 1, Wasp 0'!
 
I told myself I wouldn't click on this thread but curioisity got the better of me. Rather wishing I hadn't though.

No idea what you saw but I really wish it hadn't been in the UK!


I've photos somewhere of a largish (2") huntsman being dragged along by a european wasp out on my front patio. Quite the spectacle. The huntsman was clearly incapacitated and at the mercy of the winged beasty. I'll see if I can find the pics.

Please could you put your photos behind spoiler tags or a link when you post them?... for the benefit of wusses like me :D
 
Whatever type of spider it was probably isn't that venomous as UK ones aren't really. As either the sting or the bite didn't cause swelling etc just pain for a day or so. It's also probably not that common . I just wondered if anyone else had the pleasure of such a creature or knew something about it. Needless to say I'm older and wiser and if one shows up again I will kill it and have the body identified and post photos.
 
I told myself I wouldn't click on this thread but curioisity got the better of me. Rather wishing I hadn't though.

No idea what you saw but I really wish it hadn't been in the UK!




Please could you put your photos behind spoiler tags or a link when you post them?... for the benefit of wusses like me :D
I'm not even really a wuss except with insects and creepy crawlies. These days they know not to enter my domain...I have a Henry hoover and I'm not afraid to use it.
 
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