Tarantula hawk

A tarantula hawk is a type of spider wasp that hunts tarantulas. These wasps belong to groups called Pepsis and Hemipepsis. They are some of the biggest parasitoid wasps.

A tarantula hawk stings a tarantula to make it unable to move, but it does not kill the spider. The wasp then drags the spider to a safe place to build a nest. The wasp lays one egg on the tarantula. When the egg hatches, the baby wasp—called a larva—eats the spider. This gives the larva food while it grows.

These insects can be found everywhere in the world except Antarctica. They are strong and fast, and their bright colors warn other animals that they can be dangerous. Tarantula hawks help balance the numbers of spiders and other insects in nature.

Description

These wasps can grow up to about 6.5 centimeters long, making them some of the largest wasps. They have blue-black bodies and bright, rust-colored wings, though some species have black wings with blue highlights. Their bright colors warn other animals that they can give a painful sting. These wasps have long legs with special hooks to help them hold onto their prey. The sting of a female Pepsis grossa is known to be one of the most painful stings in the insect world.

Behavior

The female tarantula hawk wasp stings a tarantula to make it unable to move. She pulls the spider to a hole she digs in the ground. She lays one egg on the spider and covers the hole. When the egg hatches, the baby wasp eats parts of the spider but does not kill it right away.

After a few weeks, the baby wasp becomes a grown-up wasp. Adult tarantula hawks drink nectar from flowers. They are most active during the day in summer but stay in the shade when it gets too hot. The males don't hunt for food and wait on tall plants for females. The females can sting, and their sting can hurt.

Distribution

Tarantula hawks live all over the world, from the Mediterranean basin to Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. In the Americas, they live from Logan, Utah to Argentina. There are many species in South America.

In the United States, especially in the deserts of the Southwestern United States, you can find species of Pepsis and Hemipepsis. Two common species are Pepsis grossa and Pepsis thisbe. P. grossa has a metallic blue body and reddish antennae, while P. thisbe looks similar but has its own features. Both have bright orange wings that turn clear near the tips.

Sting

Tarantula hawk wasps are usually calm and don’t sting unless they feel threatened. But when they do sting, the pain can be very strong. The pain goes away after about five minutes.

Their big stingers make most animals not want to eat them. Only a few animals, like the roadrunner, can eat them. Many animals and insects avoid tarantula hawks or look like them to stay safe. The sting isn’t dangerous except if someone is very allergic, and it usually just causes some redness for a few days.

State insect of New Mexico

In 1989, the U.S. state of New Mexico chose a type of tarantula hawk to be its official state insect. Some elementary-school children from Edgewood started this idea. They studied states that had picked special insects and chose three insects. They sent ballots to schools all over New Mexico for a vote. The tarantula hawk won.