Sochi Woman Finds Wasps' Nests with Paralyzed Spiders
Insects constructed five clay cocoons immediately, and inside each one they hid paralyzed spiders. The owner saw these cocoons, smashed them, and from them many spiders spilled out.
Consensus
- A woman in Sochi found five clay cocoons in her home.
- The cocoons were built by wasps known as pellepae (osy-pelopeye).
- Each cocoon contained paralyzed live spiders.
- The woman broke the cocoons, and live spiders emerged.
- Some spiders were still moving after being released.
- The woman used a vacuum cleaner to remove the spiders.
- Experts advise against attempting to remove such nests independently.
- Wasps are not usually a serious threat to humans.
- The wasps lay eggs in the cocoons and provide paralyzed spiders as food for their larvae.
Points of divergence
- The woman initially thought the discovery was spider nests. — vm
- Pelepae wasps hunt various spider species, including potentially dangerous ones for humans. — vm
- In the first half of autumn, autumnal zygakas may appear, which can bite humans with their piercing proboscis and migrate into homes in late summer. — vm
- The article includes information from journalist-naturalist Alexander Khaburgaev about the increase of these insects in the capital region. — vm
Coverage (2 sources)
- Shot: Killer wasps, building nests out of live spiders, have settled in a resident's home in Sochi — Вечерняя Москва
- Sочи resident found wasp nests with paralyzed spiders in her home — Вести