Tarantula Hawk
Tarantula Hawks are gentle giants. I had always heard and read that the Tarantula Hawks fed on Tarantulas and have seen video of mom taking a tarantula into her den and laying eggs on it. The young Tarantula Hawks feed on the tarantula until they are mature enough to make their way in the world. The first image is a tarantula hawk feeding on the nectar of the Narrowleaf Milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis and the second is of a tarantula hawk feeding on the nectar of the Woollypod Milkweed, Asclepias eriocarpa. There were 2 sizes of Tarantula Hawks present, with the smaller males being around an inch long and the larger females like this one about 2.5" long. Many other insects were on the milkweed including skippers, beetles and ants.
Tarantula Hawk drinking nectar from the Narrowleaf Milkweed. High resolution photos are part of our garden image collection.
High resolution photos of are part of our garden image collection.
Tarantula Hawk drinking nectar from milkweed. High resolution photos are part of our garden image collection.
High resolution photos of are part of our garden image collection.
Tarantula Hawks, Carpenter Bees and Yellow Faced Bumblebees feeding on nectar from Asclepias eriocarpa, Woollypod Milkweed. High resolution videos are part of our garden image collection.