VIDEO: Tarantula vs. Pepsis Wasp

Everybody knows that if one want to survive in the wild, one will have to fight!

We’ve all seen numerous fights between big mammals, felines and even reptiles.

But have you ever thought about insects? Ants? Bees? Spiders?

They have to fight for survival, too.

This video captured the fight between a tarantula and a pepsis wasp.

According to Live Science, as the world’s largest spiders, tarantulas are both feared and beloved. There are more than 850 species of these often hairy, nocturnal arachnids. Tarantulas live primarily in the tropical, subtropical, and desert areas of the world, with the majority found in South America.

In the United States, tarantulas are found in southwestern states. Despite their fearsome appearance, tarantulas are not threatening to humans. Their venom is milder than a honeybee and though painful, their bites are not harmful. In fact, tarantulas have become a popular pet for arachnophiles around the world.

Female tarantulas can live up to 30 years, while males live for a much shorter time, around seven years.

Tarantulas’ size and coloring can vary wildly depending on location and species. From front right leg to rear left leg, tarantulas range from 4.5 to 11 inches (11.4 to 28 centimeters) in length. They weigh from 1 to 3 ounces (28.3 to 85 grams) and have strong jaws and fangs.

“The position of the fangs is distinctive as they are parallel to each other and face downwards like a vampire’s,” said Jo-Anne Nina Sewlal, an arachnologist at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad. While many tarantulas are dull brown or black, some species are brilliantly colored or striped.

“Probably [tarantulas’] most distinctive physical characteristic is that they possess very hairy legs and bodies,” said Sewlal.

She explained that some species use these bristly hairs, called urticating hairs, as a defense mechanism. If the attacker makes physical contact with the spiders, the hairs can be “rubbed off on . . . [or,] flicked toward potential attackers. These hairs are quite irritating if they land on the eyes or mucus membranes.”

Tarantulas periodically molt, shedding their exoskeletons to grow. While tarantulas are molting, they can also replace internal organs — including female genitalia or stomach lining. They can even regrow lost legs or pedipalps (short sensory appendages).

Tarantulas are by no means tiny, but Sewlal noted that if they are threatened, they will raise their front two pairs of legs in the air. “This gives the impression that they are larger than they really are.”

Tarantulas primarily eat insects, though some species enjoy larger game like frogs, mice and small lizards.

Most terrestrial species of tarantulas are burrowers. Unlike many spider species, tarantulas do not use webs to catch their prey. They do, however, spin silk. If a tarantula lives in a place with dry soil, it will burrow into the ground and line the walls of the hole with silk to help keep sand and dirt out.

If a tarantula does not burrow, it might spin a burrow out of silk, or live under a log or rock. Sometimes, tarantulas spin a line of silk near the entrance to a burrow, which, reports National Geographic, acts as a trip wire, alerting the spider to prey that is nearing its home.