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Giant Tarantula And A Tarantula Hawk Wasp Battle To The Death

Giant Tarantula And A Tarantula Hawk Wasp Battle To The Death

The tarantula hawk wasp repeatedly stings and paralyses a giant tarantula as they fight to the death in the Arizona desert. What a scrap.

James Dawson

James Dawson

If you have a fear of spiders or insects, look away now. Or don't, if you really want to push the limits of your phobias. Because this video isn't for the faint of heart, especially if creepy crawlies creep you out.

Captured in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, it shows an epic battle between a giant tarantula and the viciously-named tarantula hawk, which is a wasp that specifically hunts tarantulas.

WATCH THE SHIT-SCARY VIDEO:

Lasting for nearly four minutes, the video shows the tarantula hawk repeatedly stinging and overpowering the large arachnid until it becomes paralysed and defenseless.

It was filmed by Karen and Matthew Perry - not that Matthew Perry - while travelling to the desert for a hike with their children, Cash and Cadence.

The video begins as Cash, who is clearly a Steve Irwin in the making, kneels down for a closer look at the intense encounter and begins narrating the events as they unfold.

"The tarantula hawk is trying to paralyse the tarantula so that it could drag it back to its burrow and lay an egg on its abdomen," said Cash afterwards.

"When the egg hatches, it feeds off the still living tarantula until it becomes an adult wasp, which takes about a month.

"I wasn't scared about the hawk paralysing me, as it was so focused on the tarantula so I knew it wasn't going to sting me."

While the tarantula hawk is much smaller than its foe, it clearly packs a powerful sting. Thankfully, it's not lethal to humans, and it doesn't particularly want to attack them.

"Tarantula hawks will only sting you if they feel threatened by you," explained Cash. "So, if you leave them alone you'll be fine.

"Even though they're not lethal to humans, the tarantula hawk's sting is the second most painful sting in the insect kingdom.

"Tarantulas are pretty gentle and their bite is about as potent as a bee sting.

"I felt excited to see it in action - it's not rare that it happens but it's rare to get to see it happen right in front of you."

To be honest, running away is probably the better strategy.

Featured Image Credit: Caters; All Images: Caters

Topics: Spider, World News