Nutrition
Anoplius aethiops attack and feed on spiders. Though some species of spider wasps have specific species of spider they attack, A. aethiops
does not seem to discriminate on their prey (Wasbauer and Powell). The spider wasp's toxin affects the spider's central nervous system which paralyzes the spider but does not cause death. A. aethiops will drag the paralyzed spider into a nest, in the sediment, it has dug, lays a single egg on the spider's torso and fills in the hole. The spider acts as a sustainability for the wasp's young. When it is fully grown and finishes off the spider, the new wasp digs it's way out of the nest and off to find it's own spider. Occasionally, the A. aethiops will use the spider's own nest to bury the spider (Evans II). Adult spider wasps feed off the nectar of various flowers and sometimes drinks the blood of an attacked spider (Garman and Punzo).
