Watching fights between creatures in the wild can be an interesting insight into how they attack opponents and defend themselves. It says a lot about their evolution and how they have developed into the creatures they are today. Occasionally, a battle between two creatures occurs that makes you wonder why they are fighting in the first place. This YouTube Short by @TravelingWilde shows a tarantula hawk wasp versus a tarantula spider, a strange but intriguing fight. Read below to learn why they are fighting, and who normally wins.
Did you know that spider wasps exist?
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About the Tarantula Hawk Wasp
Chances are, you might not have heard of the tarantula hawk wasp. These wasps are known scientifically as Pepsis, and they belong to the Pompilidae family. This family consists of spider wasps—around 5,000 species that primarily hunt spiders. These wasps grow to around 2 to 2.5 inches long, making them some of the largest wasp species in the world. As seen in the video linked above, these wasps have a metallic blue-black coloring with orange wings. This coloration is referred to as “aposematic,” a form of coloration that deters predators. So, how exactly do they hunt spiders?
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How They Fight
Only female wasps do the hunting and stinging, as males are not capable of stinging at all. There are a few different steps that the wasp takes when hunting. The female wasp will use her vision to detect a tarantula burrow. After the spider leaves its burrow, the wasp will hover around and beat its wings to scare the spider, making it curl up. The spider curling up may seem like a good defense, but it is exactly what the wasp is looking for. The wasp will aim its stinger at the membrane around the spider’s legs and body, curling its abdomen to reach underneath the curled-up spider. This section of the membrane is rich in nerves, and the sting causes almost instant paralysis, putting the spider in extreme danger. After being stung, the spider remains alive but is immobilized for weeks.
After hunting the spider, the wasp uses it for egg laying, as these wasps are technically parasitic. The wasp will lay an egg on the spider’s abdomen. When the egg hatches after a few days, the larva begins feeding on the spider. Since the spider is still alive, the larva avoids feeding on important organs. Only after reaching adulthood does the larva consume the spider’s heart and nervous tissue. While this process is brutal, the wasp has evolved over centuries to reach this point. Luckily for humans, the tarantula hawk wasp is not aggressive to humans, only stinging if provoked.
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