Tarantula-hawks
Guides
Pepsinae
tarantula hawks (for some genera)
Pepsinae is a subfamily of spider wasps (Pompilidae) comprising 84 genera across six tribes. The subfamily includes the large tarantula hawks (genera Pepsis and Hemipepsis) as well as many smaller species. Members exhibit diverse nesting behaviors including use of preexisting cavities, occupation of spider burrows, soil excavation, mud nest construction, and kleptoparasitism. The subfamily is defined by distinctive morphological characters including sternite 2 with a transverse groove, femora without subapical spine-like setae in grooves, metatibia with uniform apical spine-like setae not splayed, and fore wing vein Cu1 simple at its base.