Tarantula hawk
Encyclopedia
A tarantula hawk is a spider wasp
which hunts tarantulas as food for its larva
e. Tarantula hawks belong to any of the many species in the genera Pepsis and Hemipepsis in the family Pompilidae
(spider wasps).
The more familiar species are up to five centimeter (two inches) long with a blue-black body and bright rust-colored wings (other species have black wings with blue highlights), making them among the largest of wasps. The coloring on their wings warns potential predators that they are dangerous (aposematism
). Their long legs have hooked claws for grappling with their victims. The stinger of a female tarantula hawk can be up to 7 mm (1/3 inch) long, and the sting is considered among the most painful insect stings in the world.
The female tarantula hawk captures, stings, and paralyzes the spider, then either drags her prey back into her own burrow or transports it to a specially prepared nest, where a single egg
is laid on the spider’s body, and the entrance is covered. When the wasp larva hatches, it rips a small hole in the spider's abdomen, then plunges into the spider's belly and feeds voraciously, avoiding vital organ
s for as long as possible to keep it fresh. After several weeks, the larva pupates. Finally, the wasp becomes an adult, and tears open the spider's belly to get out. The wasp emerges from the nest to continue the life cycle. Tarantula wasps are also 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 the very highest 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). The male tarantula hawk has a behavior called hill-topping
, where he sits atop tall plants and watches for passing females that are ready to reproduce.
to Southeast Asia
, Africa
, Australia
, and the Americas
. Tarantula hawk species have been observed from as far north as Salt Lake City, Utah
in the United States
, and south as far as Argentina
in South America
, with at least 250 species living in South America. Several species of tarantula hawk are found in the deserts of the southwestern United States, with Pepsis formosa and Pepsis thisbe being common. The two species are difficult to distinguish, but the majority of Pepsis formosa have metallic blue bodies and reddish antennae
, which separates them from Pepsis thisbe (both species have bright orange wings that become transparent near the tip).
, second only to that of the bullet ant
and is described by Schmidt as "blinding, fierce [and] shockingly electric". Because of their extremely large stinger
s, very few animals are able to eat them; one of the few animals that can is the roadrunner
. As many predatory animals avoid these wasps, there are many different insects which are mimics, including various other wasps and bees (Mullerian mimics), as well as moths, flies (e.g., mydas flies), and beetles (e.g., Tragidion) (Batesian mimics).
of New Mexico
chose the insect in 1989 to become its official state insect. The selection of the insect was prompted by a group of Edgewood, New Mexico
, elementary school children doing research on states which had adopted state insects. They selected three insects as candidates, and mailed ballots to all schools for a state wide election. The winner was the Tarantula Hawk Wasp (specifically, Pepsis formosa).
The Honeywell RQ-16 T-Hawk
unmanned aerial vehicle has been named after the Tarantula Hawk.
In the video game Fallout: New Vegas
, the Tarantula Hawks have been mutated inside a research facility known as Big Mt. into deadly new creatures called "Cazadores" which literally means "hunters" in Spanish.
According to" Schmidt Sting Pain Index" The Tarantula Hawk has been rated having the second most painful sting in the world rating it a 4 out of 4. Schmidt index says that this sting (although said before above) has a "Blinding, fierce, shockingly electric. A running hair drier has been dropped into your bubble bath" (Please note that this is still the second most powerful sting in the world according to the chart).
Spider wasp
Wasps in the family Pompilidae are commonly called spider wasps . The family is cosmopolitan, with some 5,000 species in 6 subfamilies...
which hunts tarantulas as food for its larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e. Tarantula hawks belong to any of the many species in the genera Pepsis and Hemipepsis in the family Pompilidae
Spider wasp
Wasps in the family Pompilidae are commonly called spider wasps . The family is cosmopolitan, with some 5,000 species in 6 subfamilies...
(spider wasps).
The more familiar species are up to five centimeter (two inches) long with a blue-black body and bright rust-colored wings (other species have black wings with blue highlights), making them among the largest of wasps. The coloring on their wings warns potential predators that they are dangerous (aposematism
Aposematism
Aposematism , perhaps most commonly known in the context of warning colouration, describes a family of antipredator adaptations where a warning signal is associated with the unprofitability of a prey item to potential predators...
). Their long legs have hooked claws for grappling with their victims. The stinger of a female tarantula hawk can be up to 7 mm (1/3 inch) long, and the sting is considered among the most painful insect stings in the world.
Behavior
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
is laid on the spider’s body, and the entrance is covered. When the wasp larva hatches, it rips a small hole in the spider's abdomen, then plunges into the spider's belly and feeds voraciously, avoiding vital organ
Organ (anatomy)
In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in structural unit to serve a common function. Usually there is a main tissue and sporadic tissues . The main tissue is the one that is unique for the specific organ. For example, main tissue in the heart is the myocardium, while sporadic are...
s for as long as possible to keep it fresh. After several weeks, the larva pupates. Finally, the wasp becomes an adult, and tears open the spider's belly to get out. The wasp emerges from the nest to continue the life cycle. Tarantula wasps are also 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 the very highest temperatures. The male tarantula hawk does not hunt; instead, it feeds off the flowers of milkweeds, western soapberry
Soapberry
Soapberry can refer to:* Plants in the genus Sapindus, native to warm temperate to tropical regions in both the Old World and the New World. The berries of these plants contain a natural, low-sudsing detergent called saponin....
trees, or mesquite
Mesquite
Mesquite is a leguminous plant of the Prosopis genus found in northern Mexico through the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Deserts, and up into the Southwestern United States as far north as southern Kansas, west to the Colorado Desert in California,and east to the eastern fifth of Texas, where...
trees (females feed on these same plants, as well). The male tarantula hawk has a behavior called hill-topping
Hill-topping
Hill-topping is a mate-location behaviour seen in many insects including butterflies, dragonflies, wasps, beetles and flies.Males of many butterfly species may be found flying up to and staying on a hilltop - for days on end if necessary. Females, desirous of mating, fly up the hill...
, where he sits atop tall plants and watches for passing females that are ready to reproduce.
Distribution
Worldwide distribution of tarantula hawks includes areas from IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to Southeast Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. Tarantula hawk species have been observed from as far north as Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and south as far as Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, with at least 250 species living in South America. Several species of tarantula hawk are found in the deserts of the southwestern United States, with Pepsis formosa and Pepsis thisbe being common. The two species are difficult to distinguish, but the majority of Pepsis formosa have metallic blue bodies and reddish antennae
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
, which separates them from Pepsis thisbe (both species have bright orange wings that become transparent near the tip).
Sting
The tarantula hawk is relatively docile and rarely stings without provocation. However the sting, particularly of Pepsis formosa, is among the most painful of any insect, though the intense pain only lasts for about 3 minutes. Commenting on his own experience, one researcher described the pain as "…immediate, excruciating pain that simply shuts down one's ability to do anything, except, perhaps, 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 IndexSchmidt Sting Pain Index
The Schmidt Sting Pain Index is a pain scale rating the relative pain caused by different Hymenopteran stings. It is mainly the work of Justin O. Schmidt, an entomologist at the Carl Hayden Bee Research Center in Arizona...
, second only to that of the bullet ant
Paraponera
Paraponera is a genus of ant consisting of a single species, commonly known as the lesser giant hunting ant, conga ant, or bullet ant , named on account of its powerful and potent sting, which is said to be as painful as being shot with a bullet. It inhabits humid lowland rainforests from Nicaragua...
and is described by Schmidt as "blinding, fierce [and] shockingly electric". Because of their extremely large stinger
Stinger
-Biology:* Stinger, an organ or body part found in various animals that usually delivers some kind of venom.* Stinger , a minor neurological injury suffered by athletes.-Sports and entertainment:...
s, very few animals are able to eat them; one of the few animals that can is the roadrunner
Geococcyx
The roadrunners are two species of bird in the genus Geococcyx of the cuckoo family, Cuculidae, native to North and Central America...
. As many predatory animals avoid these wasps, there are many different insects which are mimics, including various other wasps and bees (Mullerian mimics), as well as moths, flies (e.g., mydas flies), and beetles (e.g., Tragidion) (Batesian mimics).
Notable references
The U.S. stateU.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
chose the insect in 1989 to become its official state insect. The selection of the insect was prompted by a group of Edgewood, New Mexico
Edgewood, New Mexico
Edgewood is a town in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Santa Fe, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,375 at the 2010 Census.- History :...
, elementary school children doing research on states which had adopted state insects. They selected three insects as candidates, and mailed ballots to all schools for a state wide election. The winner was the Tarantula Hawk Wasp (specifically, Pepsis formosa).
The Honeywell RQ-16 T-Hawk
Honeywell RQ-16 T-Hawk
The Honeywell RQ-16A T-Hawk is a ducted fan VTOL micro UAV. Developed by Honeywell, it is suitable for backpack deployment and single-person operation.-Development:...
unmanned aerial vehicle has been named after the Tarantula Hawk.
In the video game Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas is a first person action role-playing video game in the Fallout series developed by Obsidian Entertainment, and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is based in a post-apocalyptic environment in and around Las Vegas, Nevada...
, the Tarantula Hawks have been mutated inside a research facility known as Big Mt. into deadly new creatures called "Cazadores" which literally means "hunters" in Spanish.
According to" Schmidt Sting Pain Index" The Tarantula Hawk has been rated having the second most painful sting in the world rating it a 4 out of 4. Schmidt index says that this sting (although said before above) has a "Blinding, fierce, shockingly electric. A running hair drier has been dropped into your bubble bath" (Please note that this is still the second most powerful sting in the world according to the chart).