Tarantula Hawk Wasp ( Pepsis ) vs Tarantula

Footage from an encounter between a wasp (in this case, Pepsis Mexicana) and a desert tarantula (Aphonopelma chalcodes). The entire episode lasted nearly 45 minutes during which the wasp repeatedly circled and harassed the alarmed spider. Despite a few intense fights, the tarantula was ultimately able to escape the wasp this time.
If a pepsis wasp can successfully sting a tarantula and paralyze the spider, she will drag it back to her den, lay eggs in its body, and seal the hole over to trap the tarantula inside. The wasp larvae avoid vital organs so the tarantula remains alive while they feed on its body. It's a gruesome life cycle in an unlikely and formidable host.
This video was recorded southern Arizona.
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Видео Tarantula Hawk Wasp ( Pepsis ) vs Tarantula канала Lo Fi Outdoors