Extremely-painful-sting

Guides

• Pepsis

  tarantula hawks, New World Tarantula-hawk Wasps

  Pepsis is a genus of large spider wasps in the family Pompilidae, commonly known as tarantula hawks. These wasps are among the largest stinging insects in the world and are restricted to the Americas. Females hunt tarantulas and other large mygalomorph spiders, paralyzing them with a sting to serve as living food for their larvae. Adults feed primarily on nectar, especially from milkweed flowers. The genus is closely related to Hemipepsis, which occurs in both Old and New Worlds.

  spider-wasptarantula-hawkparasitoidmygalomorph-predatordesert-faunaaposematic-colorationextremely-painful-stingnectar-feedersolitary-wasp