Pepsis and Hemipepsis spp

Tarantula hawk wasps are an impressive insect species to encounter. They define the second highest level of pain from an insect sting on the Schmidt pain index, after the bullet ant. Tarantula hawk wasps have large hooked feet to overpower their tarantula prey. Though they don’t eat the tarantula themselves, they instead capture the prey for their larvae. They paralyse the tarantula with their fearsome sting, carry it back to a burrow, and then lay an egg inside the still living tarantula. When the egg hatches, the larvae begin consuming the tarantula from the inside. The larvae are careful to avoid vital organs in order to keep the spider alive (fresh) for as long as possible. Despite their excellent hunting ability, tarantula hawk wasp adults are strictly nectar feeders.

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