Bees, Wasps, and Kin
Tarantula Hawks
Pepsis
species
Description
1/2-3/4" (12-20 mm). Short "waist"
(pedicel) between thorax and abdomen. Velvety black. Wings reddish
to orange, darker and less transparent at tip and base.
Warning
Female stings, but only if
provoked.
Food
Adult drinks nectar. Larva feeds on
tarantulas and trapdoor spiders.
Life Cycle
Female stings spider between legs,
immobilizing it. The female quickly digs a burial chamber, drags the
spider inside, lays an egg, and closes burrow. Wasp larva feeds on
spider, eventually killing it.
Habitat
Dry hillsides and rolling arid
plains.
Range
California and Mexico.
Discussion
Tarantula hawks are primarily
tropical, but several large species are found in the
Southwest.
Bees, Wasps, and Kin