Talk:Tarantula hawk

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[edit] The stinging quotes

I suppose it would be too much to ask for attribution for those three "stinging testimonials" in the article? They sound like they were lifted out of an article in a children's magazine. --Ardonik.talk()* July 3, 2005 11:10 (UTC)

How so? Simply because they may sound immature does not mean that they are useful quotes? They DO emphasize how painful the sting must be. After all, they ARE quotes. - Xer0X 13:58, 11 November 2005 (UTC)
I also particularly love the explanation of larva feeding on the spider 216.79.252.71 10:26, 16 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The sting aside

The sting comments aside, the description is thorough and pleasing, though a picture would be nice, they are spectacular wasps - I was especially pleased to read of their nectivory, an important point in assuaging fears of encountering one of these invertebrate gods and goddesses 69.3.185.112 01:25, 15 November 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Live or dead spiders?

Obviously the spider dies at some point, but the following unsourced sentence seems self-contradictory:

"After the larva grows a bit, the spider dies and the larva plunges into the spider's body and feeds voraciously, avoiding vital organs for as long as possible to keep it fresh."

The part about 'avoiding vital organs' seems meaningless if the spider is already dead, and is, in fact, a hold-over from a version where the spider's death was not mentioned. I'll try researching the life-cycle a little bit more, if no one else comes up with something that's more consistant. Marieblasdell 04:06, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Parts of invertebrates body may still function after they're dead; the heart may still pump even though the spider can't possibly move anymore, for example. Does that mean it's still alive? It's hard to say. 66.75.246.149 00:52, 8 April 2007 (UTC)

If you die, your skin doesnt rot right away. The larvae will try to keep its food freash even after it dies. It avoids the vital organs because they still may function involuntarilly. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.216.208.69 (talk) 01:22, 24 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Purpose of large stinger?

I don't trust the following unsourced sentence:

"Their large stingers are considered defensive adaptations for living in the open, where they are prone to predators."

Considering that they use the stinger on a very large creature--the tarantula--it seems plausible that the stinger might be large for that reason. Again, if no one else comes up with something, I'll try to research it. Marieblasdell 04:06, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Advice for avoiding being stung?

Would experts really advise people to swing at these insects and throw objects at them to avoid being stung? All the advice I've heard for other stinging insects (and admittedly, I'm no expert) has boiled down to a variation on "don't bother them and they won't bother you." It almost seems like someone's trying to get people stung with the advice in this article. But I could be wrong.

Thanks for bringing that up. Taking a fast look at the article, I think people have been vandalizing, or at least, editing irresponsibly. I'm going to go through and weed out some of the more dubious stuff.Marieblasdell 23:17, 26 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Assorted edits

I'm running through the article and removing unsourced things that don't seem believable. Here's a list, just in case I've been too skeptical about anything. 1: Reference to tarantula hawks as being called 'Flying Cougars'. 2: Reference to tarantula hawks attacking lots of people in July, 2007. 3: Very counter-productive advice against getting stung. 4: The idea that their large stinger is to protect them from predators. 5: That bullfrogs are a tarantula hawk predator. Marieblasdell 23:30, 26 July 2007 (UTC)

  • I know I'm late to the party here, but I just wanted to confirm all the above changes. None of those have any validity as far as I have researched. Tanthalas39 (talk) 18:42, 20 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Not the most painful sting

This article says that the sting from Tarantula hawk is the most painful sting. This is incorrect according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmidt_Sting_Pain_Index —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zybez (talk • contribs) 23:06, 28 November 2007 (UTC)

  • This is an interesting case. I went through some references and I can't find any definitive answer. On the Schmidt Sting Pain Index, the tarantula hawk (Pepsis) is listed as 4.0 (the current limit of the scale), and the bullet ant is listed as 4.0+, which I suppose is meant to imply that the pain of a bullet ant sting can exceed the limits of this scale. I think we could change the current text to something about how it is "one of the most painful" or "is at the top of the Schmidt scale", until we have a more definitive reference. What do you think? Tanthalas39 (talk) 18:50, 20 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Ambiguity

However, during the insect's reproductive season male tarantulas are usually emaciated from ignoring food while searching for females.

Why would tarantulas be searching for females during the wasp's reproductive season? Why should their mating seasons coincide? Or is the word "insect" here meant to refer to tarantulas? If that's the case, arthropods are not insects. --75.63.48.18 (talk) 04:25, 10 January 2008 (UTC)

  • No, the statement makes perfect sense and is scientifically correct. However, during the insect's reproductive season male tarantulas are usually emaciated from ignoring food while searching for females. Explaining, during the insect's (the tarantula hawk, the focus of the article) reproductive season male tarantulas (the actual spider) are usually emaciated from ignoring food.... Tanthalas39 (talk) 08:57, 10 January 2008 (UTC)
  • Further clarification. Why should their mating seasons coincide? This question has no bearing on the actual facts at hand. You can ask why most of the information here happens, and there's larger, more unknown knowledge that is needed. However, per the references at hand, this is the way it happens. Tanthalas39 (talk) 09:02, 10 January 2008 (UTC)