Identification
- Tarantula hawks are large wasps. Pepsis thisbe, the most common species of tarantula hawk in the Grand Canyon, can grow up to 2 inches (5mm) in length.
- Tarantula hawks have dark blue, iridescent bodies, bright orange wings, and long legs.
- Males have straight antennae, females have curly antennae.
What is a tarantula hawk's life cycle?
Tarantula hawks have a life cycle common to that of wasps in general with the larva living up to three weeks and an adult tarantula hawk has a lifespan of two months. How do they reproduce? Tarantula hawks breed for a duration of two and a half months where the male of the species is found commonly on the ridges of mountains.
What is the lifespan of a tarantula hawk?
The lifespan of a tarantula hawk is not long. The males only live a few weeks, while the lifespan of a female is only about four or five months. Tarantula hawks belong to two genera, Pepsis and Hemipepsis. Pepsis is the Greek word for “digestion,” and is also the root word for Pepsi Cola.
What is the habitat of a tarantula hawk?
Tarantula Hawk
- Scientific Name
- Identification. Tarantula hawks are large wasps. ...
- Habitat. Tarantula hawks are found in every continent except Europe and Antartica. ...
- Behavior. While adult tarantula hawks are nectavores and feed on flowers, they get their name because adult females hunt tarantulas as food for their larvae.
Where do tarantula live in the parts United States?
The United States is home to over 50 species of tarantula, some of which aren’t even described by science. Tarantulas live in twelve U.S. states, including New Mexico, California, Arizona, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri.
What states have tarantula hawk?
In the United States, you can find tarantula hawks west of the Mississippi River, through Texas to California and up to Wyoming — again, tarantula hawks can be found anywhere tarantulas live. There are fewer than 20 tarantula hawk species in North America, but South America is home to around 250 species.
Do tarantula hawks bite humans?
It is rare for tarantula hawks to attack humans, but if you have a large population on your property, it's a good idea to try to get rid of it to avoid any accidents. Using insecticide dust near the nest on the ground can help remove these pests, as can spraying hanging nests.
What happens if you get stung by a tarantula hawk?
All stings experienced occurred during a collector's enthusiasm in obtaining specimens and typically resulted in the stung person uttering an expletive, tossing the insect net into the air, and screaming. The pain is instantaneous, electrifying, excruciating, and totally debilitating.
Are there tarantula hawks in California?
The tarantula hawk is common in California and the Southwest. In 1989 New Mexico named it their state insect.
What kills tarantula hawks?
Due to their extremely large stingers, tarantula hawk wasps have very few predators. Only roadrunners and bullfrogs will take them on.
What is the most painful wasp in the world?
For humans and other vertebrates, the tarantula hawk has one of the most painful stings on the planet. American entomologist Justin Schmidt created the sting pain index, with the help of variably willing or unwitting test subjects.
What attracts tarantulas to your house?
During summer and fall, tarantulas may wander into homes by slipping through open doors or torn window and door screens. They can also find their way into window wells or gutters. From here, the pests move into houses through cracks in home siding or spaces under the home's crawl space.
What eats a tarantula hawk?
Due to their extremely large stingers, they have very few predators; only roadrunners and bullfrogs will take them on. The tarantula hawk is the state insect of New Mexico.
How painful is a tarantula hawk?
Tarantula hawk wasps are relatively docile and rarely sting without provocation. However, the sting—particularly that of P. grossa—is among the most painful of all insects, though the intense pain only lasts about five minutes.
Can a tarantula hawk paralyze you?
The tarantula hawk is in fact a brilliant parasite that attacks tarantulas, not humans, paralyzing them with a sting before dragging them into a den.
What do you do if you see a tarantula hawk?
The advice I give in speaking engagements is to lie down and scream. The pain is so debilitating and excruciating that the victim is at risk of further injury by tripping in a hole or over an object in the path and then falling onto a cactus or into a barbed-wire fence.
Do executioner wasps live in the US?
Executioner wasp habitat The good news is that this wasp is not commonly found in the United States. It is native to Central and South America. While it can sometimes be found in Texas, it is more common in the countries it is native to.
Are tarantula hawks dangerous?
Tarantula hawks can be said to be dangerous because the pain of their sting is debilitating. However, the pain only lasts for a few minutes and doe...
How many legs does a tarantula hawk have?
Like most insects, the tarantula hawk wasp has six legs. They are made up of the coxa, which is nearest the body, followed by the trochanter, the f...
How do you identify a tarantula hawk?
A tarantula hawk wasp can be identified by its iridescent, blue-black body and orange or rust-colored wings. These colors are there to warn predato...
Where do tarantula hawk wasps live?
Tarantula hawks are found all over the world save Europe and Antarctica. In the United States, most species are found in the desert scrubland of th...
What is a tarantula hawk?
A tarantula hawk is a type of wasp that’s famous for paralyzing tarantulas, dragging them back to their lair, and using them as food for their larva.
What do I do when stung by a tarantula hawk wasp?
First, don’t panic. The pain will end after a few minutes, and you will be no worse for it unless you are allergic to the venom. If you are allergi...
How bad is a tarantula hawk sting?
The tarantula hawk is not aggressive toward people, but its sting is considered one of the most painful on earth.
Are tarantula hawks poisonous?
Tarantula hawks are not poisonous, but they are venomous. Fortunately, the only effect of their venom is to inflict mind-boggling pain on potential...
What eats a tarantula hawk? ?
Most animals know not to tangle with a tarantula hawk, but it is eaten by bullfrogs, kingbirds and road runners.
Where do tarantula hawks live?
Worldwide distribution of tarantula hawks includes areas from India to Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, and the Americas. Tarantula hawk species have been observed from as far north as Logan, Utah and south as far as Argentina, with at least 250 species living in South America. Eighteen species of Pepsis and three species of Hemipepsis are found in the United States, primarily in the deserts of the southwestern United States, with Pepsis grossa (formerly Pepsis formosa) and Pepsis thisbe being common. The two species are difficult to distinguish, but the majority of P. grossa have metallic blue bodies and reddish antennae, which separates them from P. thisbe. Both species have bright orange wings that become transparent near the tip.
What is a tarantula hawk?
For the psychedelic rock band, see Tarantula Hawk (band). A tarantula hawk is a spider wasp (Pompilidae) that preys on tarantulas. Tarantula hawks belong to any of the many species in the genera Pepsis and Hemipepsis.
How long does a Tarantula Hawk sting last?
However, the sting—particularly that of P. grossa —is among the most painful of all insects, though the intense pain only lasts about five minutes.
How do tarantula hawk wasps sting?
The female tarantula hawk wasp stings a tarantula between the legs, paralyzes it, then drags the prey to a specially prepared burrow, where a single egg is laid on the spider's abdomen, and the burrow entrance is covered. Sex of the larvae is determined by fertilization; fertilized eggs produce females, while unfertilized eggs produce males.
What is the behavior of a tarantula hawk?
Male tarantula hawks have been observed practicing a behavior called hill-topping, in which they sit atop tall plants and watch for passing females ready to reproduce. The males can become resident defenders of the favorable reproduction spots for hours into the afternoon.
Do tarantula hawks have a life cycle?
Finally, the wasp becomes an adult and emerges from the spider's abdomen to continue the life cycle. Adult tarantula hawks are nectarivorous. The consumption of fermented fruit sometimes intoxicates them to the point that flight becomes difficult.
Why are tarantula hawks dangerous?
A constant presence of Tarantula Hawk Wasps indicates an abundant food supply, or a female has found a place to lay her eggs. Controlling Tarantula Hawk Wasps is difficult and dangerous. Even though they are not aggressive in nature, a female may defend her burrow or if threatened, both males and females will sting.
Why is the Tarantula Hawk wasp called Tarantula Hawk?
It is named for its similar hunting style as hawks and particularly preys on tarantulas. The tarantula hawk wasp uses a paralyzing venom that coats their stingers to hunt and capture tarantulas. The tarantula hawk wasp is considered to have the most painful sting out of all of the other stinging pests. Luckily they are not aggressive in nature.
What do tarantula hawk wasps eat?
They primarily hunt tarantulas but will make do with other large spider species. The tarantula hawk wasp actually feeds on nectar, pollen and fruit. They themselves don’t eat the spiders they catch, but instead feed them to their larva. Tarantula hawk wasp females dig burrows and then cover them after she finds enough food for her young to feed on. She will cover the burrow to provide her eggs and future generations with both food and safety, much like cicada killer wasps.
Do tarantula hawk wasps have burrows?
Tarantula Hawk Wasps are solitary wasps and don’t travel in groups or colonies. They also don’t create hives. Instead, as stated, Tarantula Hawk Wasps create burrows. They often use the natural cavities in rocks or trees or steal burrows from other insects and even small animals.
What do tarantula hawks eat?
Tarantula hawks are large blue-black wasps with bright orange wings. They feed on nectar from flowers but are most famous for their unique relationship to tarantulas. A female tarantula hawk who is ready to reproduce must find a tarantula burrow. Tapping and strumming webbing at the burrow entrance, she attempts to lure the inhabitant tarantula out. If the tarantula responds what can be a very long battle ensues. More often than not the tarantula hawk wins by delivering a paralyzing sting to the tarantula. Unable to resist, the tarantula is dragged (this can be quite a long distance over downed trees and large rocks) to a pre-dug burrow and dropped in. The tarantula hawk then lays her eggs on the still living tarantula and leaves, covering the den's entrance. When the tarantula hawk eggs hatch into larvae, the tarantula becomes their first meal.
How long do tarantulas live?
In Bandelier, they are rarely seen except in autumn (mostly October), when adult males leave their burrows in search of female tarantulas. Females can live to be up to 20 or 25 years old. Males only live for approximately 8 - 10 years. Tarantulas amost never leave their burrow during the day but hunt for their food, smaller insects, at night.
When do tarantulas leave their burrows?
Male tarantulas are most often seen in the autumn as they leave their burrows to search for mates.
How long do tarantula hawks live?
The lifespan of a tarantula hawk is not long. The males only live a few weeks, while the lifespan of a female is only about four or five months.
What is a tarantula hawk?
A tarantula hawk is a type of wasp that’s famous for paralyzing tarantulas, dragging them back to their lair, and using them as food for their larva.
How many legs does a tarantula hawk hadp have?
Like most insects, the tarantula hawk wasp has six legs. They are made up of the coxa, which is nearest the body, followed by the trochanter, the femur, the tibia, and the tarsi. Like most other insects, the wasp has claws at the end of its tarsi, but its claws are well developed to enable it to drag large and heavy tarantulas over the ground.
How to identify tarantula hawk wasp?
A tarantula hawk wasp can be identified by its iridescent, blue-black body and orange or rust-colored wings. These colors are there to warn predators that the insect does pack a powerful sting and to leave it alone. It is also an unusually large wasp and can grow as long as 2 inches. The stinger of the female is also unusually long.
What animals eat tarantula hawks?
Most animals know not to tangle with a tarantula hawk, but it is eaten by bullfrogs, kingbirds and road runners.
Why are tarantula hawks dangerous?
Tarantula hawks can be said to be dangerous because the pain of their sting is debilitating. However, the pain only lasts for a few minutes and does not have lasting effects besides the memory of it.
Do tarantula hawks eat soapweed?
Tarantula hawks are nectarivores, and they drink nectar and eat pollen from flowers, especially the flowers of milkweed, mesquite, and western soapweed. As they visit these plants, tarantula hawks pollinate them. Their pollination of milkweed is especially important to the survival of monarch butterflies, which also pollinate the plant and use it as a host plant for their caterpillars as well.
How many species of tarantula hawks are there?
Habitat, Diet & Predators. There are 250-300 species of tarantula hawks worldwide. Over 250 species can be found in South America whereas 15 species occur in the United States (9 of them inhabit deserts). These wasps are highly adaptable, capable of surviving in a wide range of habitat settings.
How big can a tarantula hawk get?
Standing at a length of 5 cm, the tarantula hawk can kill even the biggest of all tarantulas, including the goliath bird-eating Spider that can have a leg span of up to 30cm. Tarantula hawk looking for nectar, Grand Canyon, Arizona.
Why are tarantulas so popular?
Tarantula hawks exist worldwide (mostly in the tropics and southern hemisphere) due to their adaptable nature. However, their survival is directly dependent on the population of tarantulas. Tarantulas are popular as pets in many countries; as a result of which these spiders are captured in large numbers.
Why does a tarantula hawk sting a spider?
The tarantula hawk carefully stings the spider to paralyze it. The wasp stings the spider multiple times in order to completely subdue its victim. The tarantula spider is then dragged back in its own burrow, where the wasp lays a single egg on its body. Afterward, the female tarantula hawk seals off the chamber.
What were the social hymenopterans?
Social hymenopterans like bees, ants and wasps arrived during the late Cretaceous period. These hymenopterans lived in colonies consisting of hundreds of individuals. The 250-300 species of tarantula hawk are divided in genera Pepsis and Hemipepsis of family Pompilidae.
Why are tarantula hawks orange?
The contrasting orange colored wings may be acting as a strong warning signal for other predators in its habitat; only a very few animals dare to hunt the tarantula hawk. Roadrunners are one of the few regular predators known to feed on tarantula hawks, but these wasps form a very small portion of this predators’ diet.
What color are tarantula hawks?
Generally, tarantula hawk species are blue-black in color with either rusty or black colored wings. There are a few factors that can be used to distinguish the male from the female tarantula hawk. While the antenna is straight in males, it is curved in females.
How big are tarantula hawks?
Pepsis tarantula wasps range in body length from 14-50 mm (about 0.5-2.0 inches), with males considerably smaller than females.
What do tarantula hawks eat?
Adult tarantula hawks, both male, and female drink nectar from flowers and are said to be particularly fond of milkweed flowers. A tarantula hawk larva feeds on the organs and tissues of the provisioned tarantula. The newly emerged larva will feed on non-vital organs first, and save the tarantula's heart for its final instar meal.
What happens to a tarantula hawk after it mated?
Once she has mated, the female tarantula hawk begins the laborsome process of finding and capturing a tarantula for each egg she will lay.
How long does it take for a tarantula hawk to hatch?
She then lays an egg on the paralyzed tarantula. The tarantula hawk egg hatches in 3-4 days, and the newly emerged larva feeds on the tarantula. It molts through several instars before pupating. Pupation usually lasts 2-3 weeks, after which the new adult tarantula hawk emerges.
Why are tarantulas called hawks?
Tarantula hawks or tarantula wasp ( Pepsis spp,) are so named because the females provision their offspring with live tarantulas. They are big, brilliant wasps encountered mostly in the Southwest. Tarantula hawks are easily recognized by their iridescent blue-black bodies and (usually) shiny orange wings.
How do wasps provoke spiders?
Once she has the tarantula out in the open, the determined wasp will provoke the spider by prodding it with her antennae. If the tarantula rears up on its legs, it's all but doomed. The tarantula hawk stings with precision, injecting her venom into nerves and immobilizing the spider instantly.
Do tarantulas fly over the desert floor?
When she's on the hunt for a tarantula, the female tarantula hawk will sometimes fly over the desert floor, searching for a victim. But more often, she'll look for occupied tarantula burrows. While in its burrow, a tarantula will usually cover the entrance with a silk drape, but this doesn't deter the tarantula hawk.
What do tarantula hawk wasps eat?
Adults feed on flower nectar, pollen, and the juice of berries and other fruits , but the larvae feed on tarantulas provided to them by the mother.
What Causes Tarantula Hawk Wasps?
Tarantula hawk wasps can be present wherever tarantula spiders are found, and wherever the wasps can find their favorite foods—the nectar of milkweed, soapberry tree, and mesquite. These wasps will favor rocky, sandy terrain and naturalized landscapes; they are less likely to be found in cultivated lawns and gardens.
What is the name of the wasp that eats tarantulas?
Often black in color, the tarantula hawk wasp is a common desert wasp of the southwest, but it can be found anywhere the tarantula lives. As its name suggests, this wasp preys on tarantulas, in much the same way a hawk preys on rodents. Although the sting of this wasp is said to be the most painful of any insect found in North America, ...
How do tarantulas capture their prey?
To capture its prey, the female searches the ground for tarantulas . If the spider is found in its burrow, she will stroke its web, making the tarantula think it has captured prey. When the spider appears to claim its food, the wasp stings it, drags the paralyzed tarantula to her burrow, lays an egg on its body, then covers the burrow. When the egg hatches, the emerging larva feeds on the tarantula, eating the living spider from within in about a month. Within several weeks, the larva will pupate within the host spider, then emerge as an adult wasp.
Why do hawks sting?
Stings normally occur by accident when a person brushes against an insect or steps on it. Because these wasps tend to fly low and hunt along the ground for spiders, a person moving barefoot across a lawn without looking down could be at some risk. Tarantula hawks tend to live alone, rather than in colonies.
Where do hawk wasps live?
Tarantula hawk wasps can be present wherever tarantula spiders are found, and wherever the wasps can find their favorite foods—the nectar of milkweed, soapberry tree, and mesquite. These wasps will favor rocky, sandy terrain and naturalized landscapes; they are less likely to be found in cultivated lawns and gardens.
How to kill hawk wasps?
Use Carbaryl-Based Pesticide. Though regarded as a last resort, a hawk wasp can be killed with pesticide. First, locate the wasp lair, which will appear as a small hole in the ground, 1 to 2 inches across. Ideally, you will identify a wasp entering or existing this lair.
What is the name of the spider that tarantulas live in?
There is one very sought-after spider called Augacephalus junodi, but it’s rarely seen within the hobby. Where tarantulas live - Conclusion. You can see now that tarantulas live across much of the planet, even in places you probably never expected.
What is the most popular tarantula in the world?
Notice the silk lining. Mexican tarantulas. Mexico is home to some of the most beloved tarantulas in the world, including 14 Brachypelma species. This would include popular species such as the Mexican fireleg, the Mexican redknee, and the curlyhair, among others.
Which tarantula has the most venom?
The Poecilotheria tarantulas are known as having a more potent venom than most other tarantulas. African tarantulas. Many different species of tarantula live on the continent of Africa, the most notorious among them being the Baboon tarantulas.
What is the name of the old world tarantula?
Asian tarantulas. Asia is home to some impressive Old World tarantulas, including species such as the Cobalt blue ( Haplopelma lividum) and the Chinese bird spider ( Haplopelma schmidti ). The Asian species tend to be a little more aggressive and flighty than the rest, but at least they don’t have urticating hairs.
How many states have tarantulas?
United States tarantulas. The United States is home to over 50 species of tarantula, some of which aren’t even described by science. Tarantulas live in twelve U.S. states, including New Mexico, California, Arizona, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. Florida does have some introduced species ...
When do aphonopelma migrate?
The most numerous family is Aphonopelma. Once in a while they migrate across roads in large numbers, triggered by rains during the breeding season. If you’re looking for one, it’s best to do so at night during Spring and early Summer after the rains arrive. When it’s hot and dry out, they’re usually deep underground.
Where do squid live?
In the U.S., they’re found within several different states, mainly in the Southwest. They thrive throughout the world, with the highest concentrations in Mexico, South America, Africa, and Asia, as the map below suggests.
Overview
A tarantula hawk is a spider wasp (Pompilidae) that preys on tarantulas. Tarantula hawks belong to any of the many species in the genera Pepsis and Hemipepsis. They are one of the largest parasitoid wasps, using their sting to paralyze their prey before dragging it to a brood nest as living food; a single egg is laid on the prey, hatching to a larva which eats the still-living prey. They are f…
Description
Common species are up to 5 centimetres (2 in) long, making them among the largest of wasps, and have blue-black bodies and bright, rust-colored wings (other species have black wings with blue highlights). The vivid coloration found on their bodies, and especially wings, is an aposematism, advertising to potential predators the wasps' ability to deliver a powerful sting. Their long legs have hooked claws for grappling with their victims. The stinger of a female Pepsis …
Behavior
The female tarantula hawk wasp stings a tarantula between the legs, paralyzes it, then drags the prey to a specially prepared burrow, where a single egg is laid on the spider's abdomen, and the burrow entrance is covered. Sex of the larvae is determined by fertilization; fertilized eggs produce females, while unfertilized eggs produce males. When the wasp larva hatches, it creates a small hole in the spider's abdomen, then enters and feeds voraciously, avoiding vital organs for as long …
Distribution
Worldwide distribution of tarantula hawks includes areas from India to Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, and the Americas. Tarantula hawk species have been observed from as far north as Logan, Utah and south as far as Argentina, with at least 250 species living in South America. Eighteen species of Pepsis and three species of Hemipepsis are found in the United States, primarily in the deserts of the southwestern United States, with Pepsis grossa (formerly Pepsis fo…
Sting
Tarantula hawk wasps are relatively docile and rarely sting without provocation. However, the sting—particularly that of P. grossa—is among the most painful of all insects, though the intense pain only lasts about five minutes. One researcher described the pain as "...immediate, excruciating, unrelenting pain that simply shuts down one's ability to do anything, except scream. Mental discipline simply does not work in these situations." In terms of scale, the wasp's sting is …
State insect of New Mexico
The U.S. state of New Mexico chose a species of tarantula hawk (specifically, P. formosa, now known as P. grossa) in 1989 to become its official state insect. Its selection was prompted by a group of elementary school children from Edgewood doing research on states that had adopted state insects. They selected three insects as candidates and mailed ballots to all schools for a sta…
External links
• '"Instantaneous, Electrifying, Excruciating Pain", book excerpt by entomologist Justin O. Schmidt