Tarantula Hawks

Tarantula Hawk, Pepsis spp.

Tarantulas are the heaviest spider by weight, but that doesn't deter one of its main predators: tarantula hawks. These large wasps, most often referring to the genus Pepsis, look similar with iridescent blue-black bodies and orange or red wings. They are best known for hunting tarantulas, sometimes even seeking them within their burrows, although the technique can differ per species. A tarantula that is caught is paralyze, dragged to a burrow dug earlier by the wasp, and drop in. A tarantula hawk egg is laid on the still paralyzed tarantula which is now destined to become the first meal of the larvae, unless the egg never hatches and the tarantula can recover from the venom. Tarantula hawks are otherwise known to be docile, similar to tarantulas, with a diet primarily of nectar. While their sting is reported to be "traumatically painful" and debilitating, tarantula hawks are not known to show unprovoked aggression towards humans.