Despite what its name suggests, the tarantula hawk (Pepsis grossa) is neither a tarantula nor a hawk. With a sleek, metallic blue-black body, this visually striking insect is a spider wasp that hunts tarantulas.
One of the largest wasp species in the world, the tarantula hawk belongs to the family Pompilidae and grows up to 2.5 inches long—about the size of an average adult thumb. They are found predominantly in warm climates, ranging from the southwestern U.S. to South America. In these regions, tarantula hawks thrive in various environments, from the arid deserts of Arizona, New Mexico and California to the dense forests and lush landscapes of Brazil and Argentina.
With long legs adorned with hooked claws ideal for sparring with the arachnids they prey on, it is a creature whose very existence underlines nature’s unmatched capacity to combine beauty and brutality.
The Tarantula Wasp’s Attack Strategy Is The Stuff Of Nightmares
The vivid coloration found on their bodies, especially their rust-colored wings is aposematic—an advertisement to potential predators that they are not worth attacking or eating. This aposematism is well-founded, with its lifecycle being as chaotic as one could imagine for a creature whose natural prey is a family of large, hairy spiders, many of whom are venomous.
It all starts with a female tarantula hawk seeking out tarantulas with its keen sense of smell. The battle that follows is a Goliath vs Goliath story, with only one likely outcome: the predator neutralizes the prey.
It uses its powerful stinger—the stinger of a female can grow up to 12 millimeters long—to sting the spider between the legs—soft tissue is the aim. This renders it immobile, and, brutally, also keeps it alive. This paralyzed state is crucial for the next stage.
The wasp then drags this incapacitated tarantula to a specially prepared burrow, where it lays a single egg on the spider’s abdomen before covering the entrance and leaving. When the egg hatches, the wasp larvae create a hole in the abdomen, enter the spider’s body and feed ravenously on its innards. To prolong suffering, they avoid vital organs for as long as possible so the spider remains alive.
The larvae consume the spider inside out, feeding on it until it they are ready to pupate and emerge as adults. Then, the whole nightmarish cycle begins once again.
How Painful Is Getting Stung By One
It’s not just this parasitism that makes the tarantula hawk such a Lovecraftian creature of nightmare. Entomologists and insect enthusiasts who have had the unfortunate luck of experiencing its sting will swear by how it’s a pain unlike anything they’ve ever experienced.
In the Schmidt Sting Pain Index—which rates the pain of insect stings on a scale of 1 to 4—the tarantula hawk scores a 4, reserved only for the most excruciating stings. To put that into some context, red ants score a 1, Western yellowjackets score a 2 and the giant bull ant, whose sting causes severe pain for several days, scores a 3.
Entomologist Justin Schmidt, who experienced over 150 different stings and is the brain behind the index, described the pain from the insect’s sting as “blinding, fierce and shockingly electric. (Like) a running hair dryer has been dropped into your bubble bath.”
In fact, experts who find themselves stung have described the sensation as being unsettlingly painful and disorienting—some say the only ability you are left with in this unfortunate scenario is to “scream.”
The good news? Despite being incredibly painful, the sting is not dangerous, does not require medical attention and the agony only lasts about five minutes. And despite their intimidating size and penchant for hunting tarantulas, these wasps are known to be quite docile and are not known to sting humans unless provoked.
Other Fascinating Facts About The Tarantula Hawk
What makes the tarantula hawk such a fascinating insect goes beyond its terrifying beauty and potent sting and extends to its biology and behavior.
They hunt tarantulas not for their sustenance, but for the sustenance of their young. Adults are, in fact, nectivores, i.e., they feed on the nectar of flowers; a stark contrast to their barbarically carnivorous larvae. Male tarantula hawks do not even hunt.
Furthermore, they are solitary creatures excellent at navigation and capable of locating their burrows with remarkable precision, even after flying considerable distances in search of prey.
The wasp was also chosen to be the official state insect of New Mexico in 1989 due to the efforts of a group of elementary school children from Edgewood. Having researched other states that had adopted state insects, they selected three insects and mailed ballots to different schools for a statewide selection: the tarantula hawk won, and, now, you can see why.
It’s an insect that’s a captivating example of nature’s complexity and diversity–a testament to the delicate balance of ecosystems and the complex relationships between predator and prey.