What wasp is known for hunting tarantulas and laying eggs on them?

The wasp known for hunting tarantulas and laying eggs on them is the tarantula hawk. This name covers large spider wasps in the genera Pepsis and Hemipepsis.

A female tarantula hawk searches for a spider, grapples with it and delivers a powerful sting that paralyzes the tarantula without immediately killing it. She then drags the immobilized spider to a burrow or prepared nest and lays a single egg on its abdomen. The nest is sealed so the spider becomes a living food supply for the developing larva.

When the egg hatches, the larva enters the tarantula and feeds internally, consuming nonessential tissues first and keeping its host alive for as long as possible. It eventually pupates and emerges as an adult wasp. Male tarantula hawks do not hunt tarantulas; the prey-capturing behavior belongs to females provisioning their offspring.

Tarantula hawks are technically spider wasps, so “spider wasp” is a broader description rather than the most precise quiz answer. Ichneumon wasps and velvet ants have different hunting or parasitic life cycles.