No one likes a bee or a wasp ruining their picnic, but this is one wasp I find interesting. The guy on the right is a tarantula hawk (aka T-hawk) a member of the wasp family. I'd seen a few buzzing around the house a few times and I'd always steer clear - they are quite a bit larger than your normal wasp, more like the size of a small humming bird. I hadn't paid them much mind til I spotted one in a book and read up on them. I don't care much for tarantulas (aka Trannys) for a variety of reasons. Now don't be getting your feathers ruffled and go telling me how harmless Trannys are and what good they do us. I don't like them - period. Well anyhow, T-hawks sting the Trannys and drag the comatose prey back to their nests to feed their own larvae. When I arrived home one evening I spotted two T-hawks tumbling around in the dirt fighting each other near the outside of my garage. The Tranny had already been stung because it laid nearby in a complete stillness. Finally one T-hawk limped off in a shameful defeat and the victor drug it's delicious dinner home for the kiddies. I took the pic up top myself to prove it. By the way, this Tranny measured about 4 inches across to give you an idea of the size of both these guys. Now each time a T-hawk buzzes by I watch where it goes...no doubt hunting for the next family feast.
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