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, and they have a special way of caring for their young.

A tarantula hawk stings a tarantula to make it unable to move, but it does not kill the spider. The wasp then drags the paralyzed tarantula to a safe place to build a nest. The wasp lays one egg on the tarantula, and when the egg hatches, the baby wasp—called a larva—eats the still-living spider. This way, the larva has plenty of food while it grows.

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

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 very painful sting. These wasps have long legs with special hooks to help them hold onto their prey. The sting of a female Pepsis grossa can be up to 12 millimeters long and is known to be one of the most painful stings in the insect world.

Behavior

The female tarantula hawk wasp stings a tarantula between the legs, making it unable to move. She then pulls the spider to a special hole she digs in the ground. She lays one egg on the spider and covers the hole. When the egg hatches, the baby wasp makes a small opening in the spider's body and starts eating it, but it carefully avoids the parts that keep the spider alive.

After a few weeks, the baby wasp turns into a chrysalis and then 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 spend time sitting on tall plants, waiting for females. The females can sting, and their sting hurts a lot.

Distribution

Tarantula hawks can be found all over the world, from the Mediterranean basin to Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. In the Americas, they live from places as far north as Logan, Utah to as far south as Argentina. There are at least 250 species in South America alone.

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

Sting

Tarantula hawk wasps are usually calm and don’t sting unless they feel threatened. But when they do sting, especially the P. grossa kind, it can be one of the most painful stings from any insect. The pain is very strong but 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. This decision started when some elementary-school children from Edgewood studied states that had picked special insects. They chose three insects and sent ballots to schools all over New Mexico for a vote. The tarantula hawk won the election.