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A tarantula hawk is a spider wasp (Pompilidae) that preys on . Tarantula hawks belong to any of the many species in the genera Pepsis and Hemipepsis. They are some of the largest , using their sting to paralyze their prey before dragging it into a brood nest as living food; a single egg is laid on the prey, hatching to a larva, which then eats the still-living host. They are found on all continents other than Europe and Antarctica.
Adult tarantula hawks are nectarivorous. While the wasps tend to be most active in the daytime in summer, they tend to avoid high temperatures. The male tarantula hawk does not hunt. Both males and females feed on the flowers of milkweeds, western soapberry trees, or mesquite trees. 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. Females are not very aggressive, in that they are hesitant to sting, but the sting is extraordinarily painful.
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.
Distribution
Worldwide distribution of tarantula hawks includes areas from India to Southeast Asia, Africa, GBIF Australia, and the Americas, with the genus Pepsis entirely restricted to the New World. In the latter, Pepsis 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 P. formosa)Vardy, C.R. (2002). "The New World tarantula-hawk wasp genus Pepsis Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae). Part 2. The P. grossa- to P. deaurata-groups." and Pepsis thisbe being common. The two species are difficult to distinguish, but most P. grossa wasps have metallic blue bodies and reddish antennae, which separate them from P. thisbe. Both species have bright orange wings that become transparent near the tip.
Sting
Tarantula hawk wasps are relatively docile and rarely sting without provocation, but 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, shockingly electric". Because of their extremely large , very few animals are able to eat them; one of the few that can is the Geococcyx. Many predatory animals avoid these wasps, and many different insects mimicry them, including various other wasps and (Müllerian mimics), as well as , fly (e.g., Mydaidae), and (e.g., Tragidion) ().
State insect of New Mexico
In 1989 the U.S. state of New Mexico chose a species of tarantula hawk (specifically, P. formosa, now known as P. grossa) 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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