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 Connections
Child Taxon Of
Source GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Pepsis and Hemipepsis
In Biome
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
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
Section: Description
The stinger of a female Pepsis grossa can be up to 12 mm (15⁄32 in) long, and the powerful sting is considered one of the most painful insect stings in the world
In Biome: Desert, Distribution
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) and Pepsis thisbe being common.
View the Source2. Tarantula hawk (Wikipedia)
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Pepsis and Hemipepsis
GBIF Backbone TaxonomyChild Taxon Of: Hymenoptera, Taxon recordQuote, Child Taxon Of: Hymenoptera, Taxon record
"order": "Hymenoptera"
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