Have you ever heard of the tarantula hawk wasp?

[Lynx122]

I only found out today this thing existed. Aparently the female fights a tarantula paralyzes it with her stinger and then lays her egg on the spider and the larva eats the whole spider from the inside. What a crazy way to procreate. You know this is not a bug you wanna mess with when this is how they came into this world XD The sting won't kill a human but it will be the worst day of your life. Hurray :)

I'm glad I live in a colder region where you can put a glass over a spider and throw it out if you don't want it in your room. I don't have a fear of spiders but I like them just sitting in the corner eating bugs. I don't like the ones that walk all around the room I throw those out :) I just wanna be alone in my own space that's what it's about I don't need company.

Imagine living in the dinosaur era when bugs could be the size of cats and dogs.

[TheSpaceGnome]

Yep, also male wasps can't sting so they make for interesting pets.

Giant arthropods were actually alive during the carboniferous (dinosaurs didn't exist yet, and wouldn't until long after giant arrhropods died out).

As the earth warms up and we pump out more and more carbon dioxide emissions, you are going to see higher oxygen levels if we stop tearing down forests, and a new giant arthropod era will eventually happen again once oxygen levels get high enough.

[TheSpaceGnome]

Also the wasp pictured is carrying a huntsman spider, not a tarantula.

this is a tarantula hawk.

[Lynx122]

Hey I knew it was a huntsman but it was a cool picture so I just used it anyway :) I didn't know about the eras you're talking about though. I haven't read a book about this since I was a kid and that was probably very simplified but thanks for telling me :)

[BetaBucks]

I got stung by one at a public setting. I was holding back tears while my entire arm felt like it was being shocked. Fuck those things.

[Lynx122]

Omg where did you get stung by one?

[BetaBucks]

At a fair, on the hand. And for legitimately no reason. I was talking to a group of people and it decided to land on me and sting me.

[Lynx122]

That sucks so these live in the U. S. too?

[BetaBucks]

Yep, we have them in California. But I think they weren't native here. They just migrated recently. Or maybe I'm mixing them up with house centipedes.

[purplepoppy]

Parasoid wasps are quite common but most species are much smaller. The real clever bit is the larvae avoid eating anything vital in order to keep their prey alive as long as possible.

[LaurenM1997]

That looks massive 😳

[Lynx122]

for a wasp yes it is big :P

[LaurenM1997]

It’s unusual too I’ve never seen one of those in the uk

[Lynx122]

You should be glad :)

[LaurenM1997]

I am 😂

[KostasKouvalis]

Oh my fucking God! WHY did I click that? That's gonna give me nightmares

[Lynx122]

I'm sorry

[NamerOfStars]

It's also at the top of the Schmidt sting index, second only to the bullet ant.

[MrGSpotHer]

That's a toy right of a wasp with something in its mouth I don't know what I'm looking at, I've seen them they are not that big but big enough 😂

[DextroShade]

There are many types of parasitoid wasps that do this.

[woahhh152]

I didn't know about it till now. Thanks for the info buddy

[NathanDavis]

yep... that's cool

[katiesmuff]

New to me, but very interesting bit of information

[Jmmmfi4]

YEAH I WATCH ANIMAL PLANET

[Maybeyoutoo]

I'm feeding one of these

[Lynx122]

Why? XD

[Maybeyoutoo]

I love feeding animals and instead of feeding cats, birds etc. like women, I feed animals like these, like a man.

[Anonymous]

Yes, that wasp is a living horror for any spider.

[DaBiggestBird]

NOOOO