Hello all!! I know this is way off topic, but I came across some YouTube videos of tarantula hawk wasps and couldn't help but wonder if anyone has come across any material/videos of a tarantula actually beating one of these creatures! Being an avid T lover, I would love to see one of these demons getting defeated by a T.. Perhaps there is a T out there that could stand a chance.. I would love to see it.. Curses to these tarantula hawks!! I was so mad watching these videos! Anybody have any footage of a T beating one of these suckers???
Tarantula hawk?
- Thread starter Legacy
- Start date
super-pede
Arachnobaron
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2010
- Messages
- 543
it's not likely. tarantula hawks are highly specialized for tarantulas. kinda like how you won't find a video of a rat beating a rattlesnake.
Amoeba
Arachnolord
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2011
- Messages
- 603
Just gonna go for this. These wasps in the genera Pepsis is said to be twice as painful as a bee sting.
http://scienceblogs.com/zooillogix/2008/01/the_schmidt_sting_pain_index.php
4.0 Pepsis wasp: Blinding, fierce, shockingly electric. A running hair drier has been dropped into your bubble bath.
So my guess is these guys aren't getting killed by Ts especially because they've adapted to kill and eat spiders. Mother Nature tends to be a brutal effective mistress.
http://scienceblogs.com/zooillogix/2008/01/the_schmidt_sting_pain_index.php
4.0 Pepsis wasp: Blinding, fierce, shockingly electric. A running hair drier has been dropped into your bubble bath.
So my guess is these guys aren't getting killed by Ts especially because they've adapted to kill and eat spiders. Mother Nature tends to be a brutal effective mistress.
My wife and I watched a Pepsis wasp hunting around a tarantula burrow once, while the tarantula was a short distance away, waiting for the wasp to leave. The wasp kept checking inside the burrow and near the opening, while the tarantula circled further away from the burrow, obviously wanting to get back into its burrow but not while the wasp was present. This happened just at sunset, so it was a waiting game. If the tarantula could remain undetected until dark the wasp would go away. If the wasp found the tarantula though, it could sting the tarantula and then come back the next day to finish the job. As of when we walked away the wasp was still hunting, but it was almost dark.
In nature, predation is often not successful. Tarantulas do get away sometimes. Rats usually escape the snakes. Any predator that is 100% successful ends up wiping out its prey base, which in turn wipes out the predator.
In nature, predation is often not successful. Tarantulas do get away sometimes. Rats usually escape the snakes. Any predator that is 100% successful ends up wiping out its prey base, which in turn wipes out the predator.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2009
- Messages
- 79
I am sure 9 times out of 10 the tarantula hawk wins. Tarantulas, though, can also be fierce predators and I'd guess that even if it is undocumented a tarantula has fought back and won vs the winged beast.
Verneph
Arachnosquire
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2011
- Messages
- 144
I haven't ever heard of footage being recorded where the T. wins, but I doubt it's impossible. I'm sure the T. has won the fight on occasion. I think it probably comes down to who is able to strike first. If the T. is able to bite inject its venom that wasp doesn't stand a chance. Likewise, if the wasp stings the T. first, well, you know the rest.
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2010
- Messages
- 434
Actually if I recall correctly it's about a 50/50 shot.
I don't think this Tarantula hawk is quite as good as reported. As well it takes more like 5 or more stings from the wasp to do
the trick.
I don't think this Tarantula hawk is quite as good as reported. As well it takes more like 5 or more stings from the wasp to do
the trick.
Last edited:
synyster
Arachnobaron
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2010
- Messages
- 530
IMO, the T cannot defeat the wasp but only escape the attack. The wasp has the advantage of flying and strikes really fast. Unless the spider stays upside down in threat posture and strikes at the right second, I don't see how it can win the fight. But of course, escaping the attack brings the 50/50 chance out.
To answer your question - yes, sometimes the tarantula does win, as seen in this video:
http://s125.photobucket.com/albums/p63/Royal_Panthera/?action=view¤t=GiantTarantulavs.mp4
http://s125.photobucket.com/albums/p63/Royal_Panthera/?action=view¤t=GiantTarantulavs.mp4
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2007
- Messages
- 5,438
Love that video, it's a 1 out of 100 chance but yes, every once in a while the spider wins.
We have a species of spider hawk here that seems to prefer Latrodectus for prey. It's pretty cool to see that shiny purple wasp carrying away the shiny black n red Latro. Oh the colors!
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 1,135
That video was real cool. I have seen them up in the mountains. Really bright colors and pretty big. I caught one and held onto it for a while before deciding it was best to just let it go since I would not know what to do with it.
Gorgeous Wasp. Purple and orange.
Gorgeous Wasp. Purple and orange.