Last summer (?) I was on the patio watching a garden spider making slight repairs to its web, it soon finished and retired to the centre of the web ( is this called the vortex?). I was sipping a beer at the time so was alarmed when a wasp hurtled towards me, attracted by the alchohol, or so I thought! But no it dived straight at the resting spider and struck it a stunning blow to its abdomen. Backing off the wasp did a few zig- zags and flew in to sting again! This time the spider dropped dead to the floor. Is this well known behaviour? I have neveer seen it before and I am a great garden whatcher. Was it a rogue wasp? Or a little known species? Spider must have got a phenominal SHOCK

what kind of wasp was it? i know some wasps lay their eggs inside spiders.
the spider may not have died, but been paralysed, while the wasp laid her eggs.

(oops, accidental double post)