Armed with one of the most painful stings on the planet, tarantula hawks are a spider's worst nightmare. A fear of insects - entomophobia - is relatively common among people, but for some spiders, ...

Arizona biologist Andrew Wesley Legan, 30, sent shudders across social media after showcasing the scary, paralyzing effects of a spider wasp's sting — which can immobilize its victims for months ...

Arizona is home to around 30 species of tarantulas, but there's one fearless predator that's making headlines— the tarantula hawk.With its striking blue and orange colors, this wasp is a top ...

Arizona is home to around 30 species of tarantulas, but there's one fearless predator that's making headlines— the tarantula hawk. With its striking blue and orange colors, this wasp is a top ...

Yellowjackets are an exception—they scavenge dead insects, worms, and garbage. 5. ... A male tarantula hawk wasp ('Pepsis formosa') | Eric Lowenbach/Moment via Getty Images.

Justin O. Schmidt with a tarantula hawk wasp. He ranked its sting a 4 on the pain scale (the most severe): “Blinding, fierce, shockingly electric. ...

The tarantula hawk has been awarded second place on the Schmidt's sting pain index, beaten only by the South American bullet ant, Paraponera clavata. The pain from a bullet ant sting lasts up to 24 ...

With more than 3 dozen species of wasps the tarantula hawks is one of the most common in Arizona. What happens if you get stung? Here's your guide.