# Tarantula vs. tarantula hawk: Does the spider ever stand a chance? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 20, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tarantula-vs-tarantula-hawk-does-the-spider-ever-stand-a-chance/582621 "2011-05-20T21:13:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tarantula-vs-tarantula-hawk-does-the-spider-ever-stand-a-chance/582621/1 "2011-05-20T21:13:55Z")
I’ve seen this on various docs and it shows the wasp owning the tarantula every single time. Does the tarantula ever stand a decent chance? Even nailing the wasp in 10% of the battles? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tarantula-vs-tarantula-hawk-does-the-spider-ever-stand-a-chance/582621/2 "2011-05-20T21:23:36Z")
I don’t know, but it doesn’t sound very good from this bit: > [@](#): > > In an attack, the wasp uses her antennae to probe the spider, which may raise its front legs and bare its fangs. (A tarantula does not always counterattack.) She then attempts to sting the spider. She might seize the spider by a leg, flip it over on its back and sting it, or she may approach from the side to deliver a sting. Once stung, the tarantula becomes paralyzed within seconds. The condition will last for the remainder of its life. The wasp may drink the body fluids oozing from the spider’s wounds or from its mouth to replenish nutrients and water she used during the attack. > **[Tarantula Hawk](http://www.desertusa.com/dusablog/desert-animals/tarantula-hawk/)** > > The tarantula hawk has the most painful sting of any insect in North America. Learn about this wasp, and what to do if you get stung by one. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tarantula-vs-tarantula-hawk-does-the-spider-ever-stand-a-chance/582621/3 "2011-05-20T22:57:20Z")
Interestingly, there is a similar wasp in Boston, MA. I once saw a mond of mud over a doorframe-I broke it open, and a [parayled cpider was inside…meat on the hoof for a baby wasp! ---
**Author:** ![notsoheavyd3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85e7bf/32.png) [@notsoheavyd3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notsoheavyd3)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tarantula-vs-tarantula-hawk-does-the-spider-ever-stand-a-chance/582621/4 "2011-05-20T23:33:16Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > I’ve seen this on various docs and it shows the wasp owning the tarantula every single time. Does the tarantula ever stand a decent chance? Even nailing the wasp in 10% of the battles? I’ve been wondering this one too. I mean usually the spider is alot larger than the wasp(which tends to target the female spider) you’d think the wasp would be unlucky once in awhile. (Since they’ve both got venom.) Then again from what I know my impression is that wasps are fairly tough insects. (About the only tougher insect I know of are ants.) ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tarantula-vs-tarantula-hawk-does-the-spider-ever-stand-a-chance/582621/5 "2011-05-21T00:02:41Z")
> [@notsoheavyd3](#): > > (About the only tougher insect I know of are ants.) Fear the [ultimate cross-over](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutillidae)! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tarantula-vs-tarantula-hawk-does-the-spider-ever-stand-a-chance/582621/6 "2011-05-21T06:28:26Z")
> [@](#): > > The wasp may drink the body fluids oozing from the spider’s wounds or from its mouth Wow, that’s fantastically dark… ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tarantula-vs-tarantula-hawk-does-the-spider-ever-stand-a-chance/582621/7 "2011-05-21T11:33:11Z")
God, I have no idea which critter to root for. Actually I have a much healthier way of viewing the fight. Since at least one of each of these creatures inhabits the planet Earth, the only sensible course of action is to destroy the Earth. NOW. Perhaps we should blow up the sun just to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tarantula-vs-tarantula-hawk-does-the-spider-ever-stand-a-chance/582621/8 "2011-05-21T15:21:45Z")
Apparently, they’re raging drunks, too: [ [QUOTE=wiki] Tarantula wasps are also nectarivorous. The consumption of fermented fruit sometimes intoxicates them to the point that flight becomes difficult. [/QUOTE] ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula_hawk) Now a mean drunk tarantula hawk… That’s not something you’d wanna mess with. ---
**Author:** ![notsoheavyd3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85e7bf/32.png) [@notsoheavyd3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notsoheavyd3)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tarantula-vs-tarantula-hawk-does-the-spider-ever-stand-a-chance/582621/9 "2014-12-28T15:35:31Z")
Resurrecting this thread because I just came across the answer. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemipepsis\_ustulata#Body\_armor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemipepsis_ustulata#Body_armor) Pretty much no, the wasp’s exoskeleton is really effective body armor that the spider can’t get through with either its fangs or chew through with its maxilla. BTW I didn’t realize tarantulas can chew but this link shows yes they can [http://animagraffs.com/tarantula/](http://animagraffs.com/tarantula/) I thought it was just pierce, pump, suck. (IE pierce the prey with the fangs, pump in digestive fluids, suck out the prey’s guts.) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tarantula-vs-tarantula-hawk-does-the-spider-ever-stand-a-chance/582621/10 "2014-12-29T14:31:11Z")
Well thanks. I think that settles that.