Mud-nesting spider wasp with spider prey

So THIS time, I was sitting in the back yard with James, reading one of my article drafts out loud to him, when a movement caught my eye on the stone patio. A fat jumping spider? I jumped out of my chair and went over to get a closer look. No. A wasp dragging a big wolf spider! 

 

Of course, yet another photo-and-video session ensued. This insect is probably a mud-nesting spider wasp, perhaps Ageniella sp. Like other spider wasps, she stung and paralyzed this wolf spider (Schizocosa rovneri). At some point, she amputated the spider's legs (which I didn't get to see). This was a first for me, though others have observed this gruesome behavior before. She dragged the spider to a crack between the rocks and disappeared below the leaves. She'll lay her eggs on the still-live spider, and the little ones will have a fresh meal to eat. Poor spider. But that's nature!