# Any research on spiders avoiding wasp stingers in their web **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 11, 2024, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-research-on-spiders-avoiding-wasp-stingers-in-their-web/1007123 "2024-09-11T13:54:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2024, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-research-on-spiders-avoiding-wasp-stingers-in-their-web/1007123/1 "2024-09-11T13:54:16Z")
I currently am cultivating a relationship with a European garden spider. I notice that when she captures a wasp in her web, she seems to wrap the head end of the wasp and actively avoids the pointy end. Other critters tend to get wrapped completely up indiscriminately. Am I imagining this, or is there some previous research that shows what I think is happening is real? I don’t think this is learned behavior, it seems innate…if its real and not my imagination. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2024, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-research-on-spiders-avoiding-wasp-stingers-in-their-web/1007123/2 "2024-09-11T20:04:18Z")
These are not orb web spiders, they’re active hunting spiders, but you might read up on jumping spiders, especially the [Portia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portia_(spider)) genus (but all jumpers as well). They are among the most intelligent spiders and have adaptive hunting strategies that can involve strategies to avoid the stingers of dangerous prey. I would not be surprised if orb spiders have similar strategies. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2024, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-research-on-spiders-avoiding-wasp-stingers-in-their-web/1007123/3 "2024-09-11T20:09:52Z")
Here’s a paper ([PDF](https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/271239/1-s2.0-S0167880906X02566/1-s2.0-S0167880906003008/main.pdf?X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEGwaCXVzLWVhc3QtMSJHMEUCIH89X6frhs3yaH3lKgNJRhHPTRUpzFTq5IdlElIZWMW%2BAiEA%2FyHI3vJ8biOINUv5SxDd%2BUdAn3PLBTVVmI40SKXjGqwquwUIlf%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FARAFGgwwNTkwMDM1NDY4NjUiDM%2F34EyM8VlJabhcASqPBVl9jSYyCq9XfPlFM2XB0DVvf95JN21IJdBNK74M%2F9SOr7iPo%2B2YwOeyTmJlOA28AZYmLFp%2BFqv0wqyCjzl1M8g%2BilVMP5mj7I6%2F%2BDrjactFy%2BkwNTdkWpdxtrwFKUaqHiC%2BTU8UekVAgYa7UFshyZH8eps6MbaIKD9VaL%2BUNkB90MUo9MqDTT0zMgq2Ox%2B9OWYxOt6sgKSMw9pF3Dq9XyMe676WOt4%2F67QyMIhm16N3TpM%2FYwyBRcKQxDgekYYm9dGQS51JrYBj733ojWqyohLR3ToxRqS09QK5tMJQqOXN0W6Falowa2uQYwAkZORDAkLn9EM8Ml%2FlBA7szie%2FvW4Qxq740N%2FZNhGdpgRmWbXHCSpMPbmUa2V049KaaJQrRbyBL43EwHdTKvFd3fNR2HwlriFVMCwFnCmyz5trusw9CIBbtDD1YyQvTSZrAY2geQOGj%2FuYLSnu2MWYWmJTwISR5lSEuRMsE39sAnsEtj9qIbE4oisRlR7iLHRok6%2B%2FHevL2NW%2BiohevT0NLUlcBJydLXeTKjWqkaW1fYQhUyXSVGE36IkJM%2B2EzyifPSwdcBD%2BCCD3YB2tuNgmeGGoihFa4AFg8BukbmclgWkJzT%2FB76UJ9ZxnGLYSkE9xzQcpjuNrZjyWRmq7b%2FPVoH6C%2FHKxJNT5uBrHVSnOdviRrdfglATkSBmCpEn%2FnbE0zH0YrZX8bIRmMtK8yHosLIBH1dxcUbPeY4wx5ffeJncgD%2FAk7YySi9f5H2G%2FWwcBWhMf1zHOxgR00BaL9HnNYzmu5zOnLC3fb%2BFRp8wxAR18A%2Fy8WerK77G7YrR5wGu7ZFYZJlR61MkdglpXGye1nvzIQW1rpMYqWupumoNlDkFKFnswpN2HtwY6sQE1enWxaBs4xyfwtFVmtqsg7rlEcdKNHfomlgsODR2mFkxHvXSR3g6puoEjAmcg%2BnIPZeUa37Xjy0mNy1WsPYgQqSWi6HXZjSwcFmqemEXLBPIrWQKampkccLCPeG88h1JO3OLnCMoR0s84ysVI7F3aM7d%2BebMSVPO8uF2Rm6%2BUIZu959ng6BZyusEUOVMTO%2FjCZZHsS14pPDlYOJ%2Fw0S3KBJRPdfnpORD6Wn33lJ%2FLg9Q%3D&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20240911T200531Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=300&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAQ3PHCVTYTN2CH43A%2F20240911%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=90b27f2480e0aec7834186bc74101f89334ce7506522b724b67d257b4b855006&hash=2f1af9a18d86a6741609979ea9da15dea911b61cb9d1b376bb784738beb5ec97&host=68042c943591013ac2b2430a89b270f6af2c76d8dfd086a07176afe7c76c2c61&pii=S0167880906003008&tid=spdf-67e23531-c04e-4d74-a868-c7940f8645a9&sid=7ba8a46661149746b52b9188126658222956gxrqa&type=client&tsoh=d3d3LnNjaWVuY2VkaXJlY3QuY29t&ua=0f155a0154015b52035556&rr=8c1a45e64f3408cf&cc=us)) ([main page](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167880906003008?casa_token=SnMvSedWcXAAAAAA:r4bHdq9IjhgAUoq2-KAPJT52ddM_pImASMogjB3t6O1w9p7tGPWGyLBCD9FoVhzplOoR1VBUI-w)) that looks like they try to avoid dangerous prey. Other papers suggest that their webs are usually structured to target specific prey, not that by-catch can’t occur. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2024, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-research-on-spiders-avoiding-wasp-stingers-in-their-web/1007123/4 "2024-09-11T20:25:18Z")
Some orb weavers [decorate their webs](https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/212/12/1832/34719/Detritus-decorations-of-an-orb-weaving-spider), apparently to camouflage themselves from predators, including wasps. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-research-on-spiders-avoiding-wasp-stingers-in-their-web/1007123/5 "2024-09-12T01:43:21Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > I don’t think this is learned behavior, it seems innate I would imagine it would be hard for it to be learnt. An encounter with the pointy end tends not to be a repeatable experience. Lots of critters seem to have some very specialised innate behaviours. It isn’t too hard to imagine natural selection leading to this one. Wasps versus spiders always seemed to be part of the inspiration of the Alien movies. That and Dark Star. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-research-on-spiders-avoiding-wasp-stingers-in-their-web/1007123/6 "2024-09-12T20:34:12Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > Some orb weavers [decorate their webs](https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/212/12/1832/34719/Detritus-decorations-of-an-orb-weaving-spider), apparently to camouflage themselves from predators, including wasps. Here’s one I saw decorate its web with fly wings. [[Album] Spiny-backed Orb-weaver with fly wing web decorations. ![](https://i.imgur.com/MSkZMxQ.jpeg?fb "Spiny-backed Orb-weaver with fly wing web decorations.") ](https://imgur.com/a/7CiF1fk) ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-research-on-spiders-avoiding-wasp-stingers-in-their-web/1007123/7 "2024-09-12T21:10:08Z")
As a kid I used to feed the orb weavers in the large houseplants by throwing houseflies into their webs. They would scurry to the prey pronto and wrap it in seconds, head to butt. It would’ve been really interesting to see how they would’ve dealt with a wasp.