Pepsis grossa

Pepsis grossa
In Mexico
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Pompilidae
Subfamily: Pepsinae
Genus: Pepsis
Species:
P. grossa
Binomial name
Pepsis grossa
(Fabricius, 1798)[1]
Synonyms[1]
List
  • Sphex grossa Fabricius, 1798)
  • Salius grossus (Fabricius, 1798)
  • Pompilus formosus Say, 1823
  • Pepsis formosa (Say, 1823)
  • Pepsis affinis Dahlbom, 1845
  • Pepsis nephele Lucas, 1895
  • Pepsis obliquerugosa Lucas, 1895
  • Pepsis pseudoformosa Cockerell, 1898
  • Pepsis colombica Brèthes, 1926
  • Pepsis pattoni Banks, 1945
  • Pepsis pellita Haupt, 1952

Pepsis grossa is a very large species of pepsine spider wasp from the southern part of North America, south to northern South America. It preys on tarantula spiders, giving rise to the name tarantula hawk for the wasps in the genus Pepsis and the related Hemipepsis. Only the females hunt, so only they are capable of delivering a sting, which is considered the second most painful of any insect sting; scoring 4.0 on the Schmidt sting pain index compared to the bullet ant's 4.0+.[2] It is the state insect of New Mexico.[3] The colour morphs are the xanthic orange-winged form and the melanic black winged form. In northern South America, a third form, known as "lygamorphic", has a dark base to the wings which have dark amber median patches and a pale tip.[4]

  1. ^ a b "Species details : Pepsis grossa (Fabricius, 1798)". ITIS. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  2. ^ "Schmidt Pain Index (Which Sting Hurts the Worst?)". ScienceBlogs LLC. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  3. ^ "Tarantula Hawk Wasp New Mexico State Insect". State Symbols USA. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  4. ^ "Wasp Wednesday Pepsis grossa". Eric R. Eaton. Retrieved 10 September 2016.