Tarantula Hawk Wasp

Pepsis sp.

The female wasps of this species give them their name by hunting tarantulas to feed their larvae. It paralyzes the tarantula first with a 7mm long stinger, then drags it to a burrow where it lays eggs inside the living spider's abdomen for the hatched larvae to eat. Adult wasps generally feed on plants and nectar and can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Its sting is one of the most painful venoms in the world, second only to bullet ant venom, but they are generally docile and not harmful to humans.

Recorded lineage

kingdomAnimaliaphylumArthropodaclassInsectaorderHymenopterafamilyPompilidaegenusPepsis

Observed

Feb 6, 2026

Location

Machachi, Ecuador