Tarantula Hawks

• Hadi Rahmani, Grade 3
• Short Story
• 2017

TARANTULA HAWKS ARE SPIDER WASPS’. THE SCIENTIFIC NAME FOR A TARANTULA HAWK IS A PEPSINI. THE SCIENTIFIC NAME FOR A TARANTULA HAWK IS A “PEPSINI”

THESE HAWKS LIVE IN SOUTH AMERICA IN DESSERTS’ OR RAINFORESTS’. THEY CAN ALSO BE FOUND ACROSS SOUTHWEST DOWN INTO MEXICO. THEY ARE OFTEN SEEN AROUND FLOWERS OR RUNNING ON THE GROUND.

TARANTULA HAWK ADULTS FEED ON FLOWERS AND DESSERT PLANTS. TARANTULA HAWK BABIES ARE CALLED LARVAS. THEY FEED ON TARANTULAS’ WHICH THE FEMALES ADULTS HAVE PARALYZED AND ARE ALIVE. THE MALES FEED ON NECTAR FOUND IN DESSERT PLANTS.

MOST SPECIES OF TARANTULA HAWKS ARE AROUND 5 CM MAKING IT THE LARGEST TYPE OF WASP. THEY USUALLY HAVE A BLUE-BLACK BODY AND REDDISH-ORANGE WING, BUT SOME HAVE BLACK WINGS. THE COLOR ON THEIR WINGS TELLS PREDATORS THAT THEY ARE DANGEROUS. THEY HAVE LONG LEGS WHICH HAVE HOOKED CLAWS THAT ARE USED FOR GRABBING THEIR PREY.