| any of certain wasps, esp. of the family Pompilidae, that provision their nests with paralyzed spiders. |
spider wasp
any insect of the family Pompilidae, also known as Psammocharidae (order Hymenoptera). They are distributed throughout most of the world. About 40 species occur in Great Britain, and more than 100 species are found in North America. Although they feed on spiders helpful to humans, the wasps are not regarded as economically destructive
Learn more about spider wasp with a free trial on Britannica.com.