From two to four moults occur, after which the " pronymph " stage is reached, which in the insect is moderately active and possesses wing-rudiments reaching to the second abdominal Segment.
After eating the contents of the egg, the larva moults and becomes a fleshy grub with short legs and with paired spiracles close to the dorsal region, so that, as it floats in and devours the honey, it obtains a supply of air.
There it feeds first as an internal parasite of the waspgrub, then bores its way out, moults and devours the wasp larva from outside.
Growth is accompanied by a succession of moults, the spider emerging from its old skins by means of a fracture which extends along the front and sides of the cephalothorax just beneath the edge of the carapace.
After a series of moults it passes into the second larval stage, somewhat like the parent but differing in having each integumental ring armed with a fringe of backwardly directed short bristles.