can anyone please identify

[jow104]

Yesterday in the garden of our host a beautiful gold colour insect (that could also fly) was dragging a dead spider across the lawn, ) the spider was the size of a cherry tomato, the spider was dragged approx. 10 yards by this crawling gold insect and eventually took its prey down a hole in the lawn. The size of the den was around 35mm in diameter. This flying insect had a wing span of around 60mm.

Is the flying insect dangerous or any other information would be interesting?

[Gumby]

Do you live near a nuclear plant ? :D

[Cliff Rogers]

Have a look through these pictures....
http://www.amonline.net.au/collections/entomology/record.cfm?id=11

It sounds like what we call a hornet but is actually a mud wasp.

[jow104]

Have a look through these pictures....
http://www.amonline.net.au/collections/entomology/record.cfm?id=11

It sounds like what we call a hornet but is actually a mud wasp.

Thanks Cliff, I think you have identified the monster.
Does that mean that there is most probably a great colony of these creatures down the nesting hole?

Todate I have only seen a solitary insect which is only a few feet away from the rear entrance of the property.

Can it or its friends be a problem for us?

[Bleedin Thumb]

Jow104,
As far as I know they are solitary things, quiet harmless if you don't annoy them.
They don't give a hoot about you if you leave them alone, but I'd hate to get one angry!!
Kind of live and let live situation.

[DJ’s Timber]

I wouldn't worry about it. They are normally quite harmless.

They are only aggresive when breeding or if you disturb their nest.

[Cliff Rogers]

Yeap, what they said.... mostly very docile insects.

I have only ever been bitten once by a hornet (mud wasp) & that was 'cos he flew into my shirt & I didn't get the shirt off quick enough.

Paper wasps are a different story altogether.
They are much smaller, live in colonies & attack if you go anywhere near the nest.

[bennylaird]

Haven't had much problem with them in my backyard, they do past over but thankfully have not had one burrow into the back yard as yet,

Noisy Bugrs though, but these are the Aussie variety:D :D :D

[Cliff Rogers]

....have not had one burrow into the back yard as yet,...:D
You'll be the first to know if they do. :p

[Bleedin Thumb]

Paper wasps are a different story altogether.
They are much smaller, live in colonies & attack if you go anywhere near the nest.

Was driving along in a LandBruiser up in the Cape one year, brushed past a paperwasp nest that came off and landed in my lap - I was wearing stubbies at the time.
I saw them a split second before I felt the pain.:eek: :D

Must of had 20 odd wasps sitting on my thigh stinging away- they're not like bees that sting once- no these buggers sting again and again. I recon I jumped out of the car before it had even stopped.:D

[AlexS]

I've never seen a mud wasp (aka mason wasp) burrow in the ground, and a wing span of 60mm sounds big for one. Usually they build on walls. Can't help with what it is though - spiders are definitely on the menu for many wasps.

[Flowboy]

Hi,
These little guys that dig the holes are solitary. Its fascinating to watch them (all females by the way) find a suitable spot, dig the hole, then go find a spider or similar, which they paralyse by stinging. They take this back to the hole, stuff it in and lay eggs in the poor paralysed prey, then cover the hole. After a while, the eggs hatch and the larvae have fresh meat to eat, as the prey is only paralysed. They grow a bit and burrow out and there you go. They really don't give a Tinker's cuss about us. Way too busy with the hole thingy.

Rob

[Shedhand]

Haven't had much problem with them in my backyard, they do past over but thankfully have not had one burrow into the back yard as yet,

Noisy Bugrs though, but these are the Aussie variety:D :D :D

Stay clear of this Hornet....has a BIG sting.....:D

[bennylaird]

Well not really a Hornet (JSF) but nasty payload:D :D :D

[Cliff Rogers]

....nasty payload:D :D :D
Who, in their right mind, would pay for a load like that? :confused:
Maybe you would pay to have it taken away. :p

[bennylaird]

Can just imagine looking up as you were about to be engulfed, what a nasty way to go:D :D :eek: :eek:

[Cliff Rogers]

Can just imagine looking up as you were about to be ......
Aaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhhhh :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:


http://www.ubeaut.biz/boobies.gif http://www.ubeaut.biz/cover.gif http://www.ubeaut.biz/drop.gif

[jow104]

OK, thats the flying insect sorted out, now what about the spider?

Its big, around 22 mm diameter (almost ball shaped body) with six legs (spidercrab fashion) protruding beneath the body from the central part of its adomen.
Colour was grey.

[DJ’s Timber]

sounds like a huntsman (http://www.australianfauna.com/huntsmanspider.php)

[Cliff Rogers]

... now what about the spider?

... with six legs (....

Spiders have 8 legs.

[AlexS]

Spiders have 8 legs.

...until a wasp gets them.:D

[Flowboy]

Does sound like a Huntsman, or a Wolf Spider. Was it wearing Lederhosen, or camoflage fatigues?

You may know that the film Arachniphobia used spiders from a suburb in Auckland called Avondale (hence Avondale spiders). These are close relatives of the Huntsman which migrated to NZ between the packed weather bords sent from Australia for Sears type DIY homes which were very popular there early last century. They're only found in Avondale, as apparently they don't like to move far from home.
Believe it or not!

Regards

Rob

[Ashore]

Possibly some type of orb weaver , if so reasonably harmless , unless you walk into one in its web at night at face height , then they can kill you with fright :eek:

If your spider only had 6 legs then thats why the wasp got it , too slow:p

[bennylaird]

Orbs look like this.

[Shedhand]

Does sound like a Huntsman, or a Wolf Spider. Was it wearing Lederhosen, or camoflage fatigues?

You may know that the film Arachniphobia used spiders from a suburb in Auckland called Avondale (hence Avondale spiders). These are close relatives of the Huntsman which migrated to NZ between the packed weather bords sent from Australia for Sears type DIY homes which were very popular there early last century. They're only found in Avondale, as apparently they don't like to move far from home.
Believe it or not!

Regards

RobYou may know that Surfers Paradise is a dingy town in Queensland. Its infested with Kiwis who came here last century hidden between the pages dole forms. Unlike Avondale spiders these creatures have spread far and wide and can be found in dole queues up and down the eastern seaboard. :eek: :D

[Flowboy]

Sounds like a sequel.

Kiwipackophobia, as opposed to the yachties horror flick, Anaraknophobia:) :D

Knew some K1W1s in Sydney. Sp: FushandChupus manlyi. Incredible thirst!!:)

[Auld Bassoon]

Stay clear of this Hornet....has a BIG sting.....:D
Now THAT is what I call a weapon of mass destruction. Gawd - could you imagine the impact if that payload was released :eek: :D :D :D

[Driver]

Stay clear of this Hornet....has a BIG sting.....:D

That is a photo of Seaman Staines' favourite pin-up girl: the Mother Farcquar, :eek: on her way back to the good ship Very Little Gravitas Indeed after a quick run ashore.

[Shedhand]

you guys crack me up...:D:D

[Ashore]

Orbs look like this.
There are four main types in Aus Benny
Garden Orb Weaving Spiders: Eriophora (Araneidae)
Banded Orb Weaving Spiders: Argiope (Araneidae)
Golden Orb Weaving Spiders: Nephila (Tetragnathidae)
Humped or Silver Orb Weaving Spiders: Leucauge (Tetragnathidae)

The Garden type look like this

[bennylaird]

They look great when you see their web streched out in the morning. At night as you take a short cut between the bushes and find yourself with on wrapped around your face, not anywhere near as nice:eek: :eek: :D

[jow104]

Beginning to think Oz. is a dangerous place!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[bennylaird]

Only for English Cricketers:D :D :D

[jow104]

There was a time (Mr. Larwood) when Australia wanted to ban one of our bowlers because he was too active.;)

[echnidna]

he ended up moving to oz and living here permanently

[bennylaird]

Well they had to find a way of stopping the "Don" didn't they?:D :D :D

[Iain]

Back on topic, sorry people, but coul;d the spider be one of these, a mouse eating spider, similar to a trapdoor but not as nasty.
http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/spiders/detail.aspx?id=18