Question

What kind of wasp stings tarantulas, lays its egg on it, and puts it in a hole for its larva to eat?

Answer 1

Tarantula hawks, wasps from the Pompilidae family, paralyze tarantulas to provide a living host for their offspring. These parasitoid wasps represent intricate ecological relationships and play significant roles in controlling pest populations.

Step-by-step explanation:

The kind of wasp that stings tarantulas, lays its eggs on it, and then puts it in a hole for its larva to eat is known as a parasitoid wasp. In particular, this behavior is observed in wasps belonging to the family Pompilidae, commonly called tarantula hawks. These wasps utilize their venom to paralyze the tarantula before laying an egg on its body. When the egg hatches, the larva feeds on the still-living but paralyzed tarantula, consuming it from the inside out.

This behavior is a fascinating and rather grim example of nature's complex ecological interactions, which can also be observed in other types of parasitoid insects. These behaviors are essential for controlling population dynamics within ecosystems and can even be utilized in biological control methods to manage pests.

Answer 2

The wasp that preys on tarantulas for its larvae's nourishment is the tarantula hawk, a parasitoid wasp. This reproductive strategy guarantees food for the larvae through the host's eventual demise, exemplifying parasitoid behavior in nature.

Step-by-step explanation:

The kind of wasp that stings tarantulas, lays its eggs on them, and puts them in a hole for the larva to eat is known as a tarantula hawk or parasitoid wasp. These wasps are known for their particularly painful sting and unique reproductive strategy where they use the tarantula as a living host for their larvae. The parasitoid behavior is fascinating and gruesome, as it ensures that the developing larvae have a fresh and abundant food source, which is the immobilized, yet alive, host spider.

The term 'parasitoid' is key here, differentiating these creatures from standard parasites. Parasitoids typically kill their hosts, whereas parasites generally do not. This behavior is also observed in various other interactions in nature, such as some fungi that are described as 'entophagous', which consume insects similar to the way parasitoid wasps consume tarantulas. As a survival strategy, this form of reproduction ensures that the offspring have a secure beginning to life, but at the cost of the host creature.