Favoritos de kdsouza

A nest chamber got knocked off a house wall, so I opened it for a look. Spiders inside were two salticids, theridiids and maybe tetragnathids. The spider at bottom with dark abdomen has a wasp grub on its back. The larger of the two salticids (top right) is 4mm long.

Compare species composition with this observation:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/72975802

First seen resting on a wall beside a nest, presumably having just emerged (one nest chamber had a small hole). Minutes later it was in an orb web nearby. Second photo shows the spider eating it after dark.

Thought this was a Mason Wasp? It was flying around and landing clutching this spider (separate obs) and was doing this for a full 15 mins. Thought it was some sort of parasitic behaviour but didn't think these were parasitic in this way? Maybe someone can shed some like on this for me?

Returning to the nest every two minutes or so with wet clay, adding it to the outer rim and interior of the fourth cell. By the afternoon of the following day the cell was sealed but the wasp hasn't been back.

Three-chambered nest, shortly after completion and sealing of the middle chamber.
Second photo shows contents of middle chamber: Eight jumping spiders (Hypoblemum griseum) and one Clubiona sp. Jumping spider on left has a wasp egg on its abdomen.

See this observation for image of wasp working on the middle chamber on the previous day:
https://inaturalist.nz/observations/72975801

This appeared to be a male trying to mate with an emerging female. The nest has been on the wall for over a year, and the hole in which the female's head is visible has been there for a while too. Maybe they reuse old nests from previous years.