I’ve been meaning to share this Tarantula-hawk Wasp photo that I took in the West Desert of Utah for about a year, and today is as good a day as any.

Tarantula-hawk Wasp in the West Desert, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, UtahTarantula-hawk Wasp in the West Desert – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/800, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I was out in a canyon in the sky island mountains of the West Desert, searching for birds. Since I was driving slowly, I was able to spot smaller subjects such as butterflies, bees, hoverflies, and wasps. As I rounded a curve in the road in my Jeep, a two-inch-long, large, colorful Tarantula-hawk Wasp caught my eye.

The wasp wasn’t in the best light, but I decided to photograph it anyway. It was the first and only time I have had this species in my viewfinder.

I made the best of the light that I had and hoped the wasp would move to a location with better light. It didn’t and flew off out of my sight, so I am glad I took the photos that I did. I’ve identified this as a Thisbe’s Tarantula-hawk Wasp, but if I am incorrect, please don’t hesitate to correct me.

I was thrilled to photograph this Tarantula-hawk Wasp in the same mountains where I found and photographed a Desert Tarantula in September of 2020.

Facts about Tarantula-Hawk Wasps:

The females of this wasp species sting tarantulas between the legs to paralyze them. Then, they drag the spider to a specially prepared burrow, where they lay a single egg on the spider’s abdomen and cover the burrow entrance. The larva then consumes the still-living host.

I wasn’t worried or even the least bit concerned about this large wasp stinging me because I knew it didn’t see me as a threat or as a tarantula. However, I feel that I should state that, from everything I have read, their stings are incredibly painful. Just a word of caution!

The cycle of life in the natural world always fascinates me.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my insect and spider photos.