Tarantula Hawk

Arid regions, deserts, grasslands, and suburban gardens where host spiders are found

Adults feed on nectar and floral pollen; larvae are parasitic, feeding on paralyzed tarantulas provided by the mother

Solitary parasitoid wasps; females hunt tarantulas, sting them to paralyze them, and lay a single egg on the spider in an underground burrow

Possesses one of the most painful stings in the insect world (Schmidt Pain Index 4.0), though they are generally non-aggressive to humans; beneficial as pollinators and for natural population control of spiders