Spider versus Wasp

Most of my nature observation occurs through a kitchen window while I inhale nebulized antibiotics each morning. This morning I watched an interesting interplay between an arachnid and an insect. The spider was smallish, mid-brown with a big abdomen. The insect was a parasitic ichneumon wasp, with its ovipositor it was larger than the spider. The wasp was first caught in a web at the top left hand corner of the window. The spider hurried across to her web and attempted to contain the struggling wasp, not entirely successfully. They dropped together to the bottom window ledge, where a brief struggle ensued and the spider took control – so much so he was able, even with the wasp’s wings moving in a blur, climb up the window, with his unwilling victim, back to his web. At this point, the wasp managed a short flight with the spider actually still attached to it, but it was unable to sustain it and the spider duly dragged the wasp back to its web. Once back at the top of the window the wasp made a valiant attempt to escape, and this time, even though locked in the spider’s embrace, took off , with the spider, and flew away across the lawn. What happened next? We shall never know.