The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-02
EMB4IMED TCIab.
Moro About the Ways Of IA Peculiar Wasp
Found in Texas.

The Texas man who told THE SuN about
the tarantula hawk recently" said another
Texas man. didn't tell half enough about that
cheerful insect. You'll find it wherever there
are tarantulas. for II seems to owe the perpet-
uation OF its kind to tho presence OF that king
OF spiders In fact it is known by the name Of
tnrantula killer in Texas and other parts where
the biz spider has its habitat. The most pugna-
cious birds ~ the air give the tarantula wide
berth. and the 1crcest beasts are content to
leave him uomolested In fact. the tarantula
seems to defy the entire animal kingdom. with
the exception OF this giant wasp. The appear
ance Of n hawk sailing over barnyard will not
cause more sudden or frantic scattering Of a
brood OF chickens TO u place Of safety than will
the approach OF a tarantula killer TO n colony
Of these spiders
1t flies up leisurely. its wings spread to
their full sweep. like "A soaring hawk The
hiding OF the tarantula does not worry the
wasp bit. for It has him marked down all
right. and rouuces, upon him at once The big.
hairy. deadly spider has no terrors FOR the
wasp, The quality OF the wasps sting is shown
in startling way by its effect on the iarantula,
its singer into the spider the tarantula has
succumbed and is dragged forth by the wasp
ms butcher would drag dead pig out OF
the pen. But the strangest rart OF the
a9irE kn tSht ni out , Of the spider by the
ENJOY the pleasure lie AGAIN. he is wi" not dead
The poison the wasp inJects into the tarantuIa
does not KIN him. put throws him into trance.
from which he will never awaken. The taran-
tula is actually en- ba ued alive. and II the sub
seuuent processes the wasp has in store for
sometimes do. the tarantula wi remain in the
dead and alive condition ever aftcrward.
killer to dispose OF him on the spot where the
knocking out occurred. and leave him there To
carry out the rest of the programme. but usual.
the country freQuentlya mile distant. although
the spider Is many times the wasrss bulk and
70 the SPOT 1t has selected it nunctures its vic
Tins body and lays an egg deep in the open;
nnd burics the tarqntula. sonnet lines il hides
the spider in cleft in the rocks and ,plas
tr tier GS WITH mnd s wGsG
the result is most rOraciOus grub.
which at once begins TO cat its. way, out Of its
kept on ice. nice and fresh in al its flesh and
juices The ,yasns greedy laryin devours
that is ahead Of it. and when it energies from
the tarantula's head there ls nothing lett OF the
5 rs s dn N The Ey sne The e Fr%
becomes itself n tarantula killer. and does tho
same act Tor future supply OF wasps that was
Once, in, great ,whiIe the wasp's egg will
not hatch. but that doesn't change tho condi;;
of mine found tarantula in mud pastcred
GFaGk in r0Gk wqhsn had deposed its egg
lain in its trance when It was discovered. but to
c n' dSE era Of or h
or cat. 1t is full and plump. it's legs timber and
feXib bic and its eyes bright. All the elements
Of life are present. apparently. and vet the
spider Is practically as dead as the proverbial
doornaii.
II it was the nature Of this tarantula killer
with tho parnlyHing sting TO be puRnacious
there would be no living where 1t abounds.
never shows any inclination to resent the pres
ence OF man except when it has an emhalmed
tarantula In tow. Then II will show its dis
is a tradition Of a Mexican who was stung by
one of these wasps on an occasion OF that Kind.
He was stung in the neck. Paralysis ~ one
side ensned. and he finally died"