Backyard Bug – Tarantula Hawk

Backyard Bug- Tarantula Hawk

By Emily Racine, Guest Services & Membership Coordinator

Backyard Bug
Join us as we explore our backyards, gardens, and windowsills to learn more about our native Colorado invertebrates!

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a…. what is that? With the ability to reach up to four inches in length and color diversity that rivals that of butterflies, Tarantula Hawks or Tarantula Hawk Wasps (Pepsis spp.) are an intimidating force, especially if you
happen to be a tarantula.

Species Identifiers
Tarantula Hawks are a type of spider wasp, with 133 known species and ranges that span across South and Central America and the southern United States. Within Colorado, there are six different species that are known to occur, the most common being Thisbe’s Tarantula Hawk (Pepsis thisbe) which can typically be found in the southeastern portion of the state. These wasps have dark blue, iridescent bodies, bright orange wings, and grow up to two inches in length.

Common Misconceptions
Contrary to what their name may suggest, adult Tarantula Hawk Wasps do not consume the tarantulas they catch. Instead, female wasps will hunt and sting a tarantula to immobilize it, bring it back to its burrow or a similar shelter, and lay their eggs in the spider. The opening to the burrow is then covered with debris to provide a safe shelter for the wasp larvae to grow, and the tarantula provides them with a food source to do so.

Despite their fearsome appearance, Tarantula Hawks are important pollinators! Adult wasps are nectivores, meaning both males and females feed almost exclusively on pollen and nectar from flowers, and even enjoy sipping on the juice of fruits and berries. Tarantula Hawks can also be excellent indicators of biodiversity within the habitats they occupy – even providing important information that can be used to survey their prey’s populations!