T-Hawks

[sean1916]

Tarantula hawk wasps are relatively docile and rarely sting without provocation. However, the sting—particularly that of P. grossa—is among the most painful of any insect, though the intense pain only lasts about three minutes.[6] One researcher described the pain as "…immediate, excruciating pain that simply shuts down one's ability to do anything, except, perhaps, scream. Mental discipline simply does not work in these situations."[3] In terms of scale, the wasp's sting is rated near the top of the Schmidt sting pain index, second only to that of the bullet ant, and is described by Schmidt as "blinding, fierce [and] shockingly electric".[7] Because of their extremely large stingers, very few animals are able to eat them; one of the few animals that can is the roadrunner. Many predatory animals avoid these wasps, and many different insects mimic them, including various other wasps and bees (Müllerian mimics), as well as moths, flies (e.g., mydas flies), and beetles (e.g., Tragidion) (Batesian mimics).


WHERE IS YOUR ERECTION NOW?

[sukumvit boy]

Interesting stuff , thanks . This is the first I've heard of this critter although I am familiar with bullet ants and the Amazon rain forest Indians' male right of passage ritual in which young boys are fitted with 'gloves' containing bullet ants and endure the pain to prove their manhood.
PBS television has a great National Geographic special on it.
http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress....ves-of-brazil/

[Chaos]

WHERE IS YOUR ERECTION NOW?

Same place it always is... out of range of insects wishing to do it harm,lol. Personally I prefer parasitic wasps....MUCH more fun to watch.

[sukumvit boy]

The Tarantula Hawk wasp IS a parasitic wasp.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula_hawk

[Chaos]

The Tarantula Hawk wasp IS a parasitic wasp.

Yeah I kinda forgot about that....I was thinking of other wasps and forgot they lay their eggs in tarantulas,then bury them alive..lol.

[Steve-Oh]

I had one about the size pictured, land on my knee as I sat in a lawn chair by a lake. I screamed like a little girl.

[MrFanti]

Interesting!