Sonoma Mountain Ecology Notes

Celebrating and Caring for the Land

tarantula-Hawk Wasp

Pepsis pallidolimbata are one of the wasps who catch, bury in a burrow and lay an egg on spiders, including tarantulas. The larvae feed on the parasitized (and still living) spiders until they pupate. Adults take nectar as food and are also known to mate among flowers. While they are not aggressive towards humans, they are famous for being near the top of the list of painful stings. (Click image for larger version)

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