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Identification history

	Ichneumonoidea (Superfamily)	1 Jul 2025	DiBickers
	Unverified	8 Jun 2025	kasiaaus

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3 comments

DiBickers wrote:

9 Jun 2025

@kasiaaus if these spiders were found near a broken mud nest it’s likely the grub is a wasp larva. If you found it out in the open with no nest nearby it’s likely this is a fly larva. An example that target spiders are the small-headed flies (Family Acroceridae). Unfortunately, I’ve never seen them ID’d in these instances & the only way to ensure identification is truly accurate would be to raise it and see what hatches after the larva pupates.

kasiaaus wrote:

9 Jun 2025

Thank you @DiBickers. I did not see any mud nest nearby so it is probably a fly larva. The spider with the parasite was on a gum tree trunk about 1.5m off the ground.

DiBickers wrote:

1 Jul 2025

@kasiaaus ruling out the mud-nesting spider wasps & potter wasps, it’s also possible this could be the larva of one of the parasitoid wasps like the Ichneumon/Braconid Wasps. Apparently their larvae can feed openly on the host like this but I’m still not sure how we can go about verifying the ID without raising the larva☹️

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Sighting information

At least 1 Abundance
kasiaaus Recorded by
Collections
kasiaaus NatureMapr Canberra & Southern Tablelands Parasitic wasps (numerous families) Wasps (Hymenoptera, Apocrita) Insects

Additional information

A Cryptachaea veruculata spider Associated animal
Less than 5mm Animal size

Record quality

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More than one media file
Verified by an expert moderator
Nearby sighting(s) of same species
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Description
Additional attributes

Australian Capital Territory

New South Wales

Queensland

Northern Territory

Western Australia

South Australia

Victoria

Tasmania