New and unusual host records for North American and South American spider wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) Author Kurczewski, Frank E. Author West, Rick C. Author Waichert, Cecilia Author Kissane, Kelly C. Author Ubick, Darrell Author Pitts, James P. text Zootaxa 2020 2020-12-07 4891 1 1 112 journal article 9376 10.11646/zootaxa.4891.1.1 8cd88652-1627-4fbe-891d-062b3e02e511 1175-5326 4309249 6B0E1135-8C4E-4341-9793-AB970FBCD10B Pepsis heros (Fabricius) FRENCH GUIANA : Montsinéry -Tonnegrande Commune, Bagne de Annamites; 10 June 2018 ; A Canziani. Host: Theraphosa blondi (Latreille) (Goliath birdeater tarantula) ( Theraphosidae ), adult or subadult female. A series of photographs shows the wasp pulling the paralyzed tarantula backwards on the ground, dorsal side upward, grasping the base of its right pedipalp with her mandibles ( Canziani 2018 ; A. Canziani, Cayenne, French Guiana, 2020 pers. comm.). VENEZUELA : Amazonas State , near Gavilan; October 1992 . Host: Theraphosa apophysis (Tinter) (Goliath pinkfoot tarantula) ( Theraphosidae ), adult female. The wasp approached the tarantula on the ground, near its burrow, turned onto her [her being the female wasp] back, and tried to sting the tarantula in the underside of its cephalothorax. However, the tarantula bit the wasp before it could be stung causing the wasp to walk away injured ( R . C. West, 2020 pers. obs.). Such behavior is a rarity among spider wasps (F. E. Kurczewski, 2020 pers. obs.).