| Hemipepsis tamisieri | |
|---|---|
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| Hemipepsis tamisieri with its prey, a baboon spider (Theraphosidae). | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Pompilidae |
| Genus: | Hemipepsis |
| Species: | H. tamisieri |
| Binomial name | |
| Hemipepsis tamisieri | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Hemipepsis tamisieri is a species of afrotropical pepsid spider wasp, one of the so-called tarantula hawks because its preferred prey are tarantulas of the family Theraphosidae.
This wasp has been recorded from Uganda, Ethiopia, Angola, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, but is probably widespread in Africa south of the Sahara. [2]
The adults feed on the nectar of various flowers, many of which are specialised to be pollinated by this species and its cogeners. [3] The females hunt on the ground for spiders of the family Theraphosidae [4] and rain spiders of the genus Palystes which are paralysed with the female's sting to provide a food for the wasp's larva. [5]
A tarantula hawk is a spider wasp (Pompilidae) that preys on tarantulas. Tarantula hawks belong to any of the many species in the genera Pepsis and Hemipepsis. They are one of the largest parasitoid wasps, using their sting to paralyze their prey before dragging it to a brood nest as living food; a single egg is laid on the prey, hatching to a larva which eats the still-living prey.
Wasps in the family Pompilidae are commonly called spider wasps, spider-hunting wasps, or pompilid wasps. The family is cosmopolitan, with some 5,000 species in six subfamilies. Nearly all species are solitary, and most capture and paralyze prey, though members of the subfamily Ceropalinae are kleptoparasites of other pompilids, or ectoparasitoids of living spiders.
The Goliath birdeater belongs to the tarantula family Theraphosidae. Found in northern South America, it is the largest spider in the world by mass – 175 g (6.2 oz) – and body length – up to 13 cm (5.1 in) – but it is second to the giant huntsman spider by leg span. It is also called the Goliath bird-eating spider; the practice of calling theraphosids "bird-eating" derives from an early 18th-century copper engraving by Maria Sibylla Merian that shows one eating a hummingbird. Despite the spider's name, it only rarely preys on birds.
Aphonopelma chalcodes, commonly known as the western desert tarantula, Arizona blond tarantula or Mexican blond tarantula is a species of spider belonging to the family Theraphosidae. It has a limited distribution in the deserts of Arizona and adjacent parts of Mexico but can be very common within this range. The common name "blond tarantula" refers to the carapace, which is densely covered in pale hairs, and contrasts strongly with the all-dark legs and abdomen. The female body length is up to 56 mm, males only reaching 44 mm.
Harpactira gigas, sometimes called the common baboon spider, is a species of spider belonging to the family Theraphosidae. It is found in South Africa from Western Cape Province north to Limpopo Province.
Brachypelma boehmei is a tarantula native to Mexico in Guerrero state. These long-lived tarantulas prefer burrowing and hiding in dry scrubland. As with all closely related tarantula species, they defend themselves with urticating hair when provoked.
Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae Currently, about 1,000 species have been identified. The term tarantula is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although many other members of the same infraorder (Mygalomorphae) are commonly referred to as "tarantulas" or "false tarantulas". Some of the more common species have become popular in the exotic pet trade. Many New World species kept as pets have urticating hairs that can cause irritation to the skin, and in extreme cases, cause damage to the eyes.
The Texas brown tarantula, also known as Oklahoma brown tarantula or Missouri tarantula, is one of the most common species of tarantula living in the Southern United States today. Texas brown tarantulas can grow to leg spans in excess of 4 in (10 cm), and weigh more than 3 oz as adults. Their bodies are dark brown, though shades may vary between individual tarantulas. The colors are more distinct after a molt, as with many arthropods.
The skeleton tarantula, Ephebopus murinus, is a species of spider belonging to the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas), sub-family Aviculariinae. A New World species, it is native to several South American countries. Its common name is derived from the skeleton-like markings on its legs.
Brachypelma albiceps is a species of spider in the tarantula family, Theraphosidae. It is known as the Mexican golden red rump tarantula or the Amula red rump tarantula. The carapace is a light golden color and the abdomen dark, covered with long red hairs. Females typically live for about 15 years. Males usually live about 5 years or up to 12 months after the last molt.
The Pepsinae are a subfamily of the spider wasp family, Pompilidae, including the tarantula hawks, as well as smaller species.
Pterinopelma sazimai is a species of tarantula. It is known as the Brazilian blue or Sazima's tarantula. Iridescent blue in color, P. sazimai is native to an ecological island within the Chapada Diamantina National Park in Bahia, Brazil. In 2012, it became the first Brazilian species to appear on the International Institute for Species Exploration's Top 10 New Species list. The specific epithet sazimai honors Ivan Sazima, a Brazilian zoologist who was the first to collect exemplars of the species. This species is endangered due to the destruction of its habitat and overcollecting for the illegal pet trade.
Hemipepsis ustulata is a species of tarantula hawk wasp native to the Southwestern United States. Tarantula hawks are a large, conspicuous family of long-legged wasps which prey on tarantulas. They use their long legs to grapple with their prey before paralyzing them with a powerful sting. Their stings are ranked second-most painful in the insect world. They are solitary, displaying lekking territorial behavior in their mating rituals.
Chaetopelma olivaceum is a species of mygalomorph spider, belonging to the tarantula family (Theraphosidae). It has many synonyms, including Ischnocolus jerusalemensis. Common names used include black furry, black tarantula and Middle East gold.
Neoheterophrictus is a genus of tarantula in the family Theraphosidae. It comprises seven species, all found in India.
Typhochlaena costae is a species of tarantula in the family Theraphosidae, subfamily Aviculariinae. It is native to Palmas, Tocantins state, Brazil. The species shows an arboreal trapdoor lifestyle.
Hemipepsis is a genus of large pepsine spider wasps found throughout the tropics. They are commonly known as tarantula hawks. Hemipepsis wasps are morphologically similar to the related genera Pepsis and Entypus, but distinguishable by the pattern of wing venation. In South Africa 18 plant species from three plant families, the Apocynaceae, Orchidaceae, and Asparagaceae subfamily Scilloideae are pollinated exclusively by Hemipepsis wasps.
Pepsis grossa is a very large species of pepsine spider wasp from the southern part of North America, south to northern South America. It preys on tarantula spiders, giving rise to the name tarantula hawk for the wasps in the genus Pepsis and the related Hemipepsis. Only the females hunt, so only they are capable of delivering a sting, which is considered the second most painful of any insect sting; scoring 4.0 on the Schmidt sting pain index compared to the bullet ant's 4.0+. It is the state insect of New Mexico. The colour morphs are the xanthic orange-winged form and the melanic black winged form. In northern South America, a third form, known as "lygamorphic", has a dark base to the wings which have dark amber median patches and a pale tip.
Rick C. West is a Canadian arachnologist with a main expertise toward tarantula spiders. West was born in Victoria, British Columbia. He has been interested in spiders since childhood, and collected his first tarantula, Aphonopelma eutylenum at the age of 13. He worked primarily as a Chief Constable for a local Animal Humane Society, but also have been involved with the collecting, breeding, rearing and photography of theraphosid spiders. West has traveled to over 27 countries to document and study them in their environment, has been a host, presenter and co-producer in several tarantula documentaries and has also described several new species.
Tliltocatl verdezi is a species of spiders in the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas), found in Mexico.