OK, this one must 'of escaped the Gates of Hell when they were closing.

What is this ugly creature on my Japanese Miniature Pomegranate ?

When I noticed "it" as I was spray watering my plant, it appeared to be very clumsy and slow...I thought it has just come out of the cacoon or something, s the wings are still folded...
But next day I saw it again, maybe not even 10 feet away from the original spot, was still clumsy...I didn't take a chance... Buh Bye ugly!

     

Pepsis Wasp aka Tarantula Hawk

God, it even sounds scary!
Does it harm anything, is it like Japanese beetle? or something that we have been wormed about from Imports? I don't have imports.

No,this is From India to Southeast Asia, Australia and the Americas, Africa

well, in any case, it's back to hell, where it belong, iick.

From what I've read it drinks flower nectar and lays its eggs on spiders, particularly tarantulas, so the larva can feed parasitically on the spider. It also said that the wasp was reluctant to sting without provocation, but the sting is extraordinarily painful due partly to the wasp's enormous stinger. Doesn't seem to damage plants; looks like a pollinator. Obviously, you'd want to be careful about stings, and that alone could be reason not to keep it around your yard. It's the state bug for NM, and roarunners are one of the few creatures who hunt them.

Generally (there are always exceptions, but few and far between), wasps are good guys to have around except for the stinging thing. They are often predators of non-desirable insects and also pollinators. Wasps/bees/etc seldom sting unless provoked...except killer bees...I work outside all summer in a garden center and have only been stung when I antagonized the bee (usually I don't see they are there and stick my hands in).

Check out Cicada Killer wasps, we have them in the NE, they are pretty gnarly.

I usually leave bees and wasps alone, but they will feed on your figs. Yellow jackets can be aggressive from slight provocation, and since they nest in the ground, all it takes is to walk over one of thier holes. Going over them with a mower can be very dangerous, as I have found out with multiple painful stings. Some people die if they have a bad allergic reaction. I love all of nature though, and unless they mess with me, I don't bother them.

Mike from Hanover, VA

for a lady from hell, she's wearing wrong a tartan x) black watch all the way.. baby. 

One of those landed on my rental car during a business trip to Texas years ago.  I was worried it was going to carry the car away.  HUGE and nasty looking...
Jim

They are pretty chill (non-aggressive) compared to other wasps...but if they do sting....apparently it is like burning in hell. We have cicada-Killers here in KS.

 

I had one of these fly into my house last year, scared me, then I found out they weren't all that dangerous, but the thing refused to get out of the house so I had to spray it, took a lot of spray for 1 wasp.

Check out this link....

Evidently, the sting from a tarantula hawk is rated as being the most painful sting of all insects.  Good thing, as Gascony mentioned, that they are not very aggressive.

They are a very striking looking wasp.


This is a great vid of the wasp fighting the worlds most aggressive and poisonous spider, the Brazilian Wandering Spider.  A tarantula has got nothing on the BWS.  When the tarantula wasp stings it, you can see loads of poison coming out of the spider's fangs....

I just hope these don't get introduced into the US

Look at those stingers! Yikes!

They look like cockroaches and they are here.  As far as that thing Aaron is so afraid of, he needs a bottle of raid! Spray away!

Suzi

oh, I crashed her head Suzi, no way I was gonna let her roam around freely in my food forest.

Where was she planing to deposit her larvae I wonder...

I was driving when a Tarantula Hawk flew in the driver's window and buzzed in my face, sounding like a B52 Bomber. Luckily I was able to pull over and get out of the car before it stung me.