Tarantula Hawk Wasp Location
It is named for its similar hunting style as hawks and particularly preys on tarantulas.
Tarantula hawk wasp location. In the united states they are found in the deserts of the southwest. Although the sting of this wasp is said to be the most painful of any insect found in north america it is not aggressive and rarely stings. The tarantula hawk wasp is a common desert wasp of the southwest but it can be found anywhere the tarantula is found. Worldwide distribution of tarantula hawks includes areas from india to southeast asia africa europe australia and the americas.
Usgs ecologist todd esque captured this video of a tarantula hawk wasp dragging a tarantula through the desert in mexico. A skin crawling clip has captured a tarantula hawk spider wasp dragging a tarantula across the ground in eleuthera the bahamas the winged creature then stops pulling its prey and climbs on top of. Pepsis thisbe is most commonly seen on the south rim and inside the grand canyon areas where their prey tarantulas are most common. The tarantula hawk wasp uses a paralyzing venom that coats their stingers to hunt and capture tarantulas.
Tarantula hawk species have been observed from as far north as logan utah and south as far as argentina with at least 250 species living in south america. South america alone hosts 250 species of spider wasps. The tarantula hawk wasp is considered to have the most painful sting out of all of the other stinging pests. Tarantula hawks are distributed all over the india southeast asia america australia and africa.
The tarantula hawk wasp is one of the largest wasp species found in north america. Christopher starr wrote an article entitled a pain scale for bee wasp and ant stings on a scale of one to four pepsis formosa was one of only two insects to rate a four. Tarantula hawk wasps sting and paralyze tarantulas to feed their young. Tarantula hawks are found in every continent except europe and antartica.
Tarantula hawk stings are considered to be the most painful of any north american insect. Tarantula wasp hawk location they live everywhere in fact everywhere a tarantula is. Joining the bullet ant at four is a critter that lives right here in the southwestern us. Thursday august 25 2016.
They are most likely to be found in africa australia asia southern and northern us south america and in the southwest deserts of the united states.