Just caught a Tarantula Hawk Wasp!!!

[beetleman]

yes a very impressive wasp indeed:razz: have to add SOMETHING ELSE to my huge collection:worship: :drool:

 

[Tleilaxu]

Feed it sugar water and other high sugar liquids,I would have killed it outright due to my extreme love of T's and spiders. Cool catch!:}

 

[kimski]

Yeah, the thought of snuffing it crossed my mind. I feel for the critter that tangles w/ this thing. But, I do try to save bugs... so there she is.... I've read that they like flower nectar; so I've put some indigenous flowers in with her.... thanks for the heads up on the sugar H20. Kim Ski

 

[Tleilaxu]

Your welcome, I raised paper wasps for a time crushed fruit is also a fave.

 

[dtknow]

You are lucky you didn't get stung! Also pretty gutsy! I've seen plenty but never once thought of catching them.

Perhaps you could allow it to breed...nahh.

 

[kimski]

Howdy - thanks for the replies n' comments. It's a bitchin' bug.

Just found out that my neighbor sees them where she works... But she's terrified of them and she works at a really exclusive resort ($7500 a week!) and she can't bring guests onto the property. But they must be all around here. I would like to raise them (and - it would keep them away from the poor Tarantulas around here!) I have collected bugs n' stuff all my life and this has got to be the most aggressive thing I have ever come across...

[For reference re: "Wasp Hunting", when I was a kid I used to catch live wasps and somehow tie thread around them and take them for a 'fly'. Funny how when you're a kid you're not afraid cuz nobody taught you to be yet...)

 

[Malhavoc's]

Quick scrolling down after a qeustion was asked, so sorry if it is a repeat, being a flying creature she will need a "large!" container, also being a burrower. She will need plenty of dirt to create her nest, food I would suggest small spiders (not sure if it is just the young that feed on paralized spiders) if that is rejected try flowers, or suger water. she may drink that, some parasitic animals do not eat once they reach maturity, which may be the case with her. Hence the "busyness" she may be on her last wing of life and if thats the case procreating is her only drive, and a large one at that. I would normaly say release her but I will not pester. they do make fine resin paper weights. best of lucksetting up a habbitat for her. I imagion it will be difficult to make a place that she wont ram herself to death in


One a side note rasing them wouldn't be too hard, as I believe their size is completly based upon what they "host" on you could feed her small easy to find wolf spiders and her offspring wouldn't be as impressive but they would be hacks all the same. best of luck keep us updated.

 

[Peter_Parker]

Only the larval stage feed on spiders, The adults just buzz around eating nectar and sweet stuff all day (when the females aren't looking for T's to take out ). Would she even be interested in anything less than a tarantula? I mean they are called "Tarantula Hawks" I know up here in Michigan we have smaller spider hunter wasps that feed on wolf spiders and the like, but IMO It would have to be a pretty big wolf spider to satisfy a pepsis. I guess if she had nothing else she'd go for it, but then again, what do I know? lol

 

[Steve Nunn]

Hi,
That's a nice Pepsis sp. wasp you have there If you email Rick West I'm sure he'll give you the info you will want (perhaps species ID, care, etc).

Cheers,
Steve

 

[aggie08]

Holy crap that is a big un. don't let kitty get too curious... i'm already worried they'll discover my hidden emporers and hissers

 

[dtknow]

If it does lay an egg on a wolf spider couldn't you feed the larvae and get it to grow larger on lots of little spiders instead of one big one?