Day 48: Tarantula Hawk

What is worst than a velvet ant sting? A tarantula hawk has one of the most painful stings, which lasts for about three minutes. They typically feed on nectar and pollen, but to lay their eggs females will sting a tarantula into a state of paralysis and intense pain. She then drags the body into a burrow and lays her eggs while the tarantula is still alive. The larvae hatch and feed off of the tarantula. Thankfully these wasps are not considered aggressive towards humans and will try to escape first.