The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-08-28
THE TARANTulA.KILLER.
Some Astonishing Allegations Regarding
the Cheerful Mexican Wasp.


1.-The cheerful Mexican wasp that a
tourist described isn't solely Mexican
product" said q New Yorker, who has
travelled bit himself. you'll find
that remarkable insect wherever there
are tarantulas, for it seems to owe the
perpetuation of its kind to the presence
Of the king of spiders. In fact, it is
known by the name of 'tarantula-
killer in Texas and other parts where
the big spider has its habitat.
Tine most pugnacious birds of the
air give the tarantula wide birth and
the tiercest beasts are content to leave
him unmolested. In fact, the tarantula
seems to defy the entire animal king
dom, with the exception of the giant
wasp. The appearance of hawk sail
ing over a barn-yard will not cause q
more sudden or frantic scattering of a
brood OF chickens to place OF safety
than will the approach of tarantula-
killer among colony of these spiders.
Whether the tarantulas can see their
enemy long way off, or whether they
hear the hum of its wings or smell the
dreadful insect, | don't know. but
whenever tarantula is seen scamper-
ing like mad to his den and closing its
trap-door without delay, it is ten to
one that a tarantula-killer will be seen
sailing along that way few seconds
later.
"lt flies up leisurely, its reddish
brown wings spread 10 their full three
inch sweep, and contrasting strikingly
TO its dead-black legs and body. The
hiding Of the tarantnla in his den does
not worry the wasp bit 1t lights at
the trap-0oor and has it open as quick
~ as the tarantula can open it himself
and walks straightway in. The big,
hairy, deadly spider has no terrors for
the wasp. The quality of the wasp's
sting is shown in startling way by its
effect on the tarantula, for in five
seconds after the killer has entered
the spiders den the tarantula has sue
cumbed to the thrusts of the sting and
Is dragged out by the wasp as a
butcher would drag dead pig out of
the pen.
ssBut the strange part of the quick
Knocking out of the spider by the wasp
is that while the former will never en-
Joy the pleasures of life again, he is
not dead. Tho poison tho wasp in
jects into the tarantula does not kill
him, but throws him into a trance from
which he will never awaken. The TIA
rantula is actually ombalmed alive.
and II the subsequent processes the
wasp has in store for him prove abor-
tive in their working, as they some
times do, the tarantula will remain in
that dead and alive condition ever
afterward.
Sometimes 1t happens to suit the
tarantula-killer, when it does up its
spider in the latter's den toaleave him
there to carry out the rest of the
program, and usually it drags the Ia
rantula to some other part the country
frequently mile distant, although tho
spider is many times the wasp's bulk
aud weight. When the big wasp has
dragged the spider to the spot It has
selected, 1t punctures its victims body
at the base OF one OF its hind legs aud
lays an egg deep in the opening. The
wasp then olga "a hetv IN -tiFe fftsUuy1
Hfid Durtos the tarantuia. Sometimes
1t hides the spider in cleft in the
rocks and plasters the opening shut
with mud. When the egg Is Matched
inside the spider the result is a most
voracious grub, which at once begins
to eat its way out of its storehouse. 1t
is as II the spider had been kept on ice,
nice and fresh in all its flesh and juices.
Tho wasp's greedy larva devours
everything to the right and loft Of it,
and all that is ahead Of it, and when it
energies from the terantula's head
there Is nothing left of the spider but
its hideous, hairy shell. The grub
digs itself out of the spiders grave,
and In time becomes itself tarantula-
killer and does the same act for a
future supply Of wasps TINT was done
for it,