Hemipepsis


Hemipepsis is a genus of large pepsine spider wasps found primarily throughout the tropics. They are commonly known as tarantula hawks. Hemipepsis wasps are morphologically similar to the related genera Pepsis and Entypus, but distinguishable by the pattern of wing venation. In South Africa 18 plant species from three plant families, the Apocynaceae, Orchidaceae, and Asparagaceae subfamily Scilloideae are pollinated exclusively by Hemipepsis wasps.
File:Spider-hunting Wasp .jpg|thumb|right|A Hemipepsis sp. wasp, Kruger National Park, South Africa
File:Hemipepsis_with_Baboon_Spider.jpg|thumb|right|A female Hemipepsis sp. wasp dragging a paralyzed tarantula, Sandy Bay, South Africa

Species

About 180 species are placed in Hemipepsis, including: