TARANTULA HAWK
A tarantula hawk is a spider wasp (Pompilidae) that hunts
tarantulas. Tarantula hawks belong to any of the many species in the genera
Pepsis and Hemipepsis. They are 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.
The more familiar species are up to 5 cm (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 grossa can be up to 7 mm (1⁄4 in) long,
and the powerful sting is considered one of the most painful insect stings in
the world.
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| www.wildlifeadventure.com |
BEHAVIOR
The female tarantula hawk wasp stings and paralyzes a
tarantula, then drags the prey to a specially prepared brooding nest, where a
single egg is laid on the spider's abdomen, and the 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 as possible to keep the spider alive. After
several weeks, the larva pupates. Finally, the wasp becomes an adult and emerges
from the spider's abdomen to continue the lifecycle.
Adult tarantula hawks are nectarivorous. The
consumption of fermented fruit sometimes intoxicates them to the point that
flight becomes difficult. While the wasps tend to be most active in daytime
summer months, they tend to avoid high temperatures. The male tarantula hawk
does not hunt; instead, it feeds off the flowers of milkweeds, western
soapberry trees, or mesquite trees (females feed on these same plants, as
well). 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. Females are not very aggressive, in that they are hesitant
to sting, but the sting is extraordinarily painful
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| andrewwilliams/critterzone.com |
THE 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 rated near the top of the Schmidt sting
pain index, second only to that of the bullet ant, and is described by Schmidt
as "blinding, fierce[, and] shockingly electric". Because of their
extremely large stingers, very few animals are able to eat them; one of the few
animals that can is the roadrunner. Many predatory animals avoid these wasps,
and many different insects mimic them, including various other wasps and bees
(Müllerian mimics), as well as moths, flies (e.g., mydas flies), and beetles
(e.g., Tragidion) (Batesian mimics).
Aside from the possibility of triggering an allergic
reaction, the sting is not dangerous and does not require medical attention.
Local redness appears in most cases after the pain, and lasts for up to a week.
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| www.smallcreepycritters.com |
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 statewide election. The winner was the tarantula hawk wasp.
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| www.natureatitsbest.com |
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