The Tarantula Hawk is a giant, blue-black spider wasp with vivid rust-orange wings that hunts tarantulas, delivering a sting rated as one of the most painful insect stings in the world. The female paralyzes a tarantula and lays a single egg on it inside its own burrow; the wasp larva then consumes the living host over weeks. Despite their formidable reputation, adults are docile unless handled.
Best time to see a Tarantula Hawk
The best time to see a Tarantula Hawk is June–August, when about 61% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 94 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
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Recent Tarantula Hawk sightings near you
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