Question for Steve Nunn
- Thread starter FelixA9
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- Aug 30, 2002
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Hi,
The T died about three months after the event. She showed what seemed to be a gradual recovery, but never regained full motor skills. She had great difficulty taking in any liquids and although her enclosure was kept quite damp she couldn't survive the paralysis time period.
I have observed several more of the Hemipepsis spp. theraphosid hunting and am actually hoping to be able to film an entire encounter between wasp and spider.
Cheers,
Steve
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2002
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Hi Ernie, merry x-mas (it's the 25th here already)!
I haven't observed a wasp burrow as such, the species in my area utilize the theraphosid burrow. They do reshape it a little. Actually most Pepsis spp. don't dig their own burrows but use the T's as well. Although apparently there are one or two spp. that do construct their own burrows, which ones I'm not certain. There's a Hemipepsis sp. that hunts specifically for Theraphosa blondi, I can't remember the species name off the top of my head, but if anyone has a photo of this species, please post it!!! It's the size of a sparrow. Rick West tried to photograph this species but has had great difficulty getting a good shot, the damn things move so quickly and at the time he was across a ravine from the spider/wasp encounter.
If you get a chance to observe the wasps hunting theraphosids, try to get as much on film as possible, it would be nice to know a little more about the wasps behaviour!
Thanks,
Steve
Some years back I lived in Texas and one summer in Irving (by Dallas) I saw two wasps that looked very similar in size, color, and shape to the one you have on that page. Back then even though facinated by insects and bugs in general, I messed with them more than kept them as pets. Anyway one of those big wasps was on my bike so I flicked it off onto the pavement and ran it over with my bike. A mountain bike. It kept walking, no lie. Anyway a week or so later I was out on my bike again and I happened to notice a HUGE wasp in the gutter and it had a green cicada. It was longer than the cicada and when it saw me it took flight and took the cicada with it! I don't know what kind either of those wasps were but they were definitely bigger than any listed in the National Audobon Society books. The wasp with the cicada was black.
Once at the bus station in downtown Modesto, I saw a huge tarantula hawk! It had matalic black coloration with metalic, irradicent green and purple I guess...or was violet? I was going to catch it, but I was too embarrassed with so many people around! =D