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Tarantula versus tarantula-hawk: A study in instinct by Alexander Petrunkevitch is a Environmental Science article available to read on EtoBox.

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For years past I have wished to study in detail the encounter between a tarantula and a tarantula-hawk-mode of recognition, methods of attack and of defense, danger to both combatants, relative frequency of failure due to miscarriage of instinct, disparity of size, or inadequacy of weapons. Existing brief descriptions of such encounters and pictures illustrating them are quite insufficient to clear the many problems involved in the study of such a complicated relationship between an insect and a spider. The usual impression is that the danger of being killed is not a negligible factor in the existence of the solitary wasp, which is entirely dependent f o r its food in its larval stage upon the successful termination of the combat. But if the tarantula is capable of destroying the wasp, then the accounts do not elucidate the reason why she does not do it every time, why does she not kill her mortal enemy outright, as she does in case of molestation by any other insect? Is the spider taken unawares? Is it stung and paralyzed before it has even a chance to assume a defensive attitude? O r is the insect so agile that the clumsy tarantula stands little chance unless she is wide-awake to

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Author

Alexander Petrunkevitch

Publisher

John Wiley and Sons; Wiley (John Wiley & Sons); John Wiley & Sons Inc.; Wiley (ISSN 0022-104X)

Published

1926

Language

EN

Field

Environmental Science (Life Sciences)