Psorthaspis planata (Fox)

CA: San Diego County, Santee; posted 10 July 2007; G. Quintana. Host: Bothriocyrtum californicum (O. P.-Cambridge) ( Halonoproctidae) (California trapdoor spider), sex and life stage unknown. A series of photographs shows the wasp straddling the trapdoor lid trying to gain entry at the trapdoor rim with her mandibles before she finally chews a small hole through the trapdoor lid to enter. This is a relatively small wasp (BL 8 - 14 mm, Evans 1966) to be attacking such a large and robust spider (BL 25 - 33 mm) (Quintana 2007; G. Quintana, Santee, CA, 2020 pers. comm.; D. Ubick, 2020 pers. comm.).