Originally posted by David K
Quote: | Originally posted by DavidE
The Tarantula Hunter AKA Tarantula Hawk hornet is also to be reckoned with IMHO. As far as anaphylactic shock likelyhood is concerned, a sting from a
Tarantula Hunter is far more serious than a sting from a "normal" honeybee, yellow jacket (wasp) or hornet. ... People other than I claim their sting
is the most painful one in nature. I say, I don't want to find out.
Hope This Helps |
DK-these are all over San Diego...I see them all the time on my trails runs especially during summer.
Here are some photos of one attracted to our sliced tomatoes, south of San Felipe... They do not attack humans, and stings are rare... but reported
very painful, as Dah-veed says.
She had no problem with me getting this close, and after drinking some tomato juice, flew off.
From Wikipedia:
A tarantula hawk is a spider wasp which hunts tarantulas as food for its larvae. Tarantula hawks belong to any of the many species in the genera
Pepsis and Hemipepsis in the family Pompilidae (spider wasps).
The more familiar species are up to five centimetres (two inches) long with a blue-black body and bright rust-colored wings (other species have black
wings with blue highlights), making them among the largest of wasps. The coloring on their wings warns potential predators that they are dangerous
(aposematism). Their long legs have hooked claws for grappling with their victims. The stinger of a female tarantula hawk can be up to 7 mm (1/3 inch)
long, and the sting is considered among the most painful insect stings in the world. |