Post by rock on Apr 30, 2019 16:57:41 GMT 5
tarantula hawk wasp
The more familiar species are up to 5 cm (2 in) long, making them among the largest of wasps, and have blue-black bodies and bright, rust-colored wings (other species have black wings with blue highlights). The vivid coloration found on their bodies, and especially wings, is an aposematism, advertising to potential predators the wasps' ability to deliver a powerful sting. Their long legs have hooked claws for grappling with their victims. The stinger of a female Pepsis grossa can be up to 7 mm (9⁄32 in) long, and the powerful sting is considered one of the most painful insect stings in the world.The female tarantula hawk wasp stings and paralyzes a tarantula, then drags the prey to a specially prepared brooding nest, where a single egg is laid on the spider's abdomen, and the entrance is covered.[3] Sex of the larvae is determined by fertilization; fertilized eggs produce females, while unfertilized eggs produce males.[3] When the wasp larva hatches, it creates a small hole in the spider's abdomen, then enters and feeds voraciously, avoiding vital organs for as long as possible to keep the spider alive. After several weeks, the larva pupates. Finally, the wasp becomes an adult and emerges from the spider's abdomen to continue the life cycle.
Adult tarantula hawks are nectarivorous. The consumption of fermented fruit sometimes intoxicates them to the point that flight becomes difficult. While the wasps tend to be most active in the daytime in summer, they tend to avoid high temperatures. The male tarantula hawk does not hunt; instead, it feeds off the flowers of milkweeds, western soapberry trees, or mesquite trees (females feed on these same plants, as well). Male tarantula hawks have been observed practicing a behavior called hill-topping, in which they sit atop tall plants and watch for passing females ready to reproduce. Females are not very aggressive, in that they are hesitant to sting, but the sting is extraordinarily painful.Tarantula hawk wasps are relatively docile and rarely sting without provocation. However, the sting—particularly that of P. grossa—is among the most painful of all insects, though the intense pain only lasts about five minutes.[8] One researcher described the pain as "...immediate, excruciating, unrelenting pain that simply shuts down one's ability to do anything, except scream. Mental discipline simply does not work in these situations."[5] In terms of scale, the wasp's sting is rated near the top of the Schmidt sting pain index, second only to that of the bullet ant, and is described by Schmidt as "blinding, fierce[, and] shockingly electric".[2] Because of their extremely large stingers, very few animals are able to eat them; one of the few that can is the roadrunner. Many predatory animals avoid these wasps, and many different insects mimic them, including various other wasps and bees (Müllerian mimics), as well as moths, flies (e.g., mydas flies), and beetles (e.g., Tragidion) (Batesian mimics).
Aside from the possibility of triggering an allergic reaction, the sting is not dangerous and does not require medical attention. Local redness appears in most cases after the pain, and lasts for up to a week.
desert hairy scorpion
This is the largest scorpion found in North America. It goes also goes by the giant hairy scorpion and the Arizona desert hairy scorpion. Its common names come from the brown hairs that cover their bodies. In the United States, it is commonly found western Arizona, the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts that cover parts of California, Nevada, and Utah. While this scorpion is big and imposing, it’s sting is only comparable to that of a honeybee.Giant desert hairy scorpions look much more dangerous to humans than they actually are. If you’ve been stung by a bee, you can handle one of these guys. In comparison to other, more deadly scorpions, these are mild creatures. They’re even kept as common house pets in some states.
Giant desert hairy scorpion stings should be treated like a bee sting. Wash it thoroughly with soap and water to clean the wound. Apply a cold pack to reduce swelling and pain. If you develop symptoms beyond this, contact a medical professional right away.Giant desert hairy scorpions give birth to live young. The reproduction process is multilayered and intricate. Males will inflict females with sexual stings that indicate interest. He then grabs the female, moving them both and back and forth in a “promenade” dance. Females are not always into mating and occasionally resist. There have actually been instances where the female will eat her mate.
This process usually happens at night. Giant desert hairy scorpions do not have any particular mating season, but they will often remain dormant in winter months. On average, it will take 10 months for the scorpions to give birth to around 30 individuals. These are small and white, and will crawl onto their mother’s back to molt. This stage will last for around three weeks until they can live on their own. They become fully matured after a period of four years. These scorpions can live up to ten years in the wild and twenty years in captivity.
The giant desert hairy scorpion is most commonly found in burrows, under rocks, and in caves. You’ll usually only see them at night foraging for food. As predators, they will ambush their prey, striking at anything they perceive as a threat when they are disturbed.
The giant desert hairy scorpion is carnivorous and can eat organisms of their own size like lizards, mice and even other scorpions. Once they spot their prey, they will grab it with their pincers and deliver a paralyzing sting. While this is effective on insects, larger animals will only be irritated.
The more familiar species are up to 5 cm (2 in) long, making them among the largest of wasps, and have blue-black bodies and bright, rust-colored wings (other species have black wings with blue highlights). The vivid coloration found on their bodies, and especially wings, is an aposematism, advertising to potential predators the wasps' ability to deliver a powerful sting. Their long legs have hooked claws for grappling with their victims. The stinger of a female Pepsis grossa can be up to 7 mm (9⁄32 in) long, and the powerful sting is considered one of the most painful insect stings in the world.The female tarantula hawk wasp stings and paralyzes a tarantula, then drags the prey to a specially prepared brooding nest, where a single egg is laid on the spider's abdomen, and the entrance is covered.[3] Sex of the larvae is determined by fertilization; fertilized eggs produce females, while unfertilized eggs produce males.[3] When the wasp larva hatches, it creates a small hole in the spider's abdomen, then enters and feeds voraciously, avoiding vital organs for as long as possible to keep the spider alive. After several weeks, the larva pupates. Finally, the wasp becomes an adult and emerges from the spider's abdomen to continue the life cycle.
Adult tarantula hawks are nectarivorous. The consumption of fermented fruit sometimes intoxicates them to the point that flight becomes difficult. While the wasps tend to be most active in the daytime in summer, they tend to avoid high temperatures. The male tarantula hawk does not hunt; instead, it feeds off the flowers of milkweeds, western soapberry trees, or mesquite trees (females feed on these same plants, as well). Male tarantula hawks have been observed practicing a behavior called hill-topping, in which they sit atop tall plants and watch for passing females ready to reproduce. Females are not very aggressive, in that they are hesitant to sting, but the sting is extraordinarily painful.Tarantula hawk wasps are relatively docile and rarely sting without provocation. However, the sting—particularly that of P. grossa—is among the most painful of all insects, though the intense pain only lasts about five minutes.[8] One researcher described the pain as "...immediate, excruciating, unrelenting pain that simply shuts down one's ability to do anything, except scream. Mental discipline simply does not work in these situations."[5] In terms of scale, the wasp's sting is rated near the top of the Schmidt sting pain index, second only to that of the bullet ant, and is described by Schmidt as "blinding, fierce[, and] shockingly electric".[2] Because of their extremely large stingers, very few animals are able to eat them; one of the few that can is the roadrunner. Many predatory animals avoid these wasps, and many different insects mimic them, including various other wasps and bees (Müllerian mimics), as well as moths, flies (e.g., mydas flies), and beetles (e.g., Tragidion) (Batesian mimics).
Aside from the possibility of triggering an allergic reaction, the sting is not dangerous and does not require medical attention. Local redness appears in most cases after the pain, and lasts for up to a week.
desert hairy scorpion
This is the largest scorpion found in North America. It goes also goes by the giant hairy scorpion and the Arizona desert hairy scorpion. Its common names come from the brown hairs that cover their bodies. In the United States, it is commonly found western Arizona, the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts that cover parts of California, Nevada, and Utah. While this scorpion is big and imposing, it’s sting is only comparable to that of a honeybee.Giant desert hairy scorpions look much more dangerous to humans than they actually are. If you’ve been stung by a bee, you can handle one of these guys. In comparison to other, more deadly scorpions, these are mild creatures. They’re even kept as common house pets in some states.
Giant desert hairy scorpion stings should be treated like a bee sting. Wash it thoroughly with soap and water to clean the wound. Apply a cold pack to reduce swelling and pain. If you develop symptoms beyond this, contact a medical professional right away.Giant desert hairy scorpions give birth to live young. The reproduction process is multilayered and intricate. Males will inflict females with sexual stings that indicate interest. He then grabs the female, moving them both and back and forth in a “promenade” dance. Females are not always into mating and occasionally resist. There have actually been instances where the female will eat her mate.
This process usually happens at night. Giant desert hairy scorpions do not have any particular mating season, but they will often remain dormant in winter months. On average, it will take 10 months for the scorpions to give birth to around 30 individuals. These are small and white, and will crawl onto their mother’s back to molt. This stage will last for around three weeks until they can live on their own. They become fully matured after a period of four years. These scorpions can live up to ten years in the wild and twenty years in captivity.
The giant desert hairy scorpion is most commonly found in burrows, under rocks, and in caves. You’ll usually only see them at night foraging for food. As predators, they will ambush their prey, striking at anything they perceive as a threat when they are disturbed.
The giant desert hairy scorpion is carnivorous and can eat organisms of their own size like lizards, mice and even other scorpions. Once they spot their prey, they will grab it with their pincers and deliver a paralyzing sting. While this is effective on insects, larger animals will only be irritated.
