barito bajada
Tarantula hawk waspInvertebrates

Tarantula hawk wasp

Pepsis spp.

Huge blue-black wasp with orange wings that hunts tarantulas. One of the most painful stings on earth — but it's not aggressive and the venom is medically harmless. Don't swat it; just give it room. As an adult it only drinks nectar.

Key

Painful, not dangerous
Common — you'll see these
Barito Bajada — field notes from the desert