The importance is that the tiny wasp has been shown to be an effective predator of the Australian redback spider, a relative of North America’s black widow spider. “The redback spider is notorious in Australia, and it has spread to some other countries, notably Japan and New Zealand,” Austin said. “Redbacks are one of the most dangerous species in Australia and they’re mostly associated with human dwellings, which has been a problem for many years,”The wasp is now being dubbed the “redback spider-hunting wasp” after one was observed dragging a spider it had paralyzed with a sting several yards to its nest.