Brains On! Science podcast for kids Can a spider eat a wasp?
Feb 3, 2026
Dr. Paula Cushing, senior curator and 30-year spider researcher, explains spider and wasp interactions. She describes how spiders trap, venomize, and externally digest wasps. The show also covers wasps that hunt and paralyze spiders, like tarantula hawks. Short segments highlight specialized hunters and surprising spider strategies.
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How Spiders Capture And Digest Prey
- Spiders can eat wasps if they catch them in webs and immobilize them with silk and venom.
- Spiders externally digest prey by spitting enzymes and then sucking up the liquefied tissues.
Why Predators Often Avoid Ants
- Avoid approaching or lumping creatures that resemble ants because many predators avoid ants for their defenses.
- Ants can sting, spray acid, or attack en masse, making them risky prey for most spiders.
Spiders Are Mostly Opportunistic Hunters
- Most spiders are generalist predators and will eat almost anything they can catch.
- Some spiders specialize, including species that prefer or even exclusively eat ants due to evolved behaviors.