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Pepsis sp. tarantula hawk (Pompilidae) parasitizing an Aphonopelma sp. tarantula. Pepsis sp. wasps are idiobiont ectoparasitoids of a metallic blue-green color. An adult female wasp (1) stings a tarantula host, injecting venom from her venom glands (8) resulting in host paralysis. The wasp then drags the paralyzed spider into a burrow (15), where it lays an egg (2) on the abdomen of the tarantula. The egg hatches and the larva (11) begins to feed upon the host (first on hemolymph, then tissues) while growing and undergoing several cycles of molting. The larva spins a cocoon (13) and pupates within. Eventually, wasps cut open their cocoon and emerge as mature adults (14).

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