A tarantula hawk is a spider wasp in the family Pompilidae that preys on tarantulas, comprising species in the genera Pepsis and Hemipepsis. They are among the largest parasitoid wasps, using their sting to paralyze prey before dragging it into a brood nest as living food for a single egg, which hatches into a larva that consumes the still-living host. Tarantula hawks are found on every continent except Antarctica.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) Living or Extinct Partially Attested
Scientific NamePepsis and Hemipepsis (genera) 1 The common name covers many species in two genera, so no single binomial applies. Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceBlue-black bodies with bright rust-colored wings in some species, black wings with blue highlights in others 1 In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Ecuador, found in there.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Tarantula hawk
Lead paragraph, second sentence
Tarantula hawks belong to any of the many species in the genera Pepsis and Hemipepsis.
Description, first sentence
have blue-black bodies and bright, rust-colored wings (other species have black wings with blue highlights)
- spider wasp found on land continents
View the Source2. Tarantula hawk (Wikipedia)
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