Imagine being a deadly predator, yet constantly hunted! Tarantulas, despite their fearsome reputation, face numerous specialized enemies in the wild.
Even nature’s scariest spiders must constantly watch their eight-legged backs.
Tarantulas are hunted by tarantula hawk wasps, giant centipedes, coatis, roadrunners, owls, foxes, and various other predators. These natural enemies have evolved specialized techniques to overcome the tarantula’s defenses and make this formidable spider their prey.
Despite being fearsome predators, tarantulas must constantly avoid birds, mammals, and insects, proving they are not always resilient predators.
Key Points:
- Tarantula hawk wasps are the most dangerous enemy to tarantulas
- Baby tarantulas have more predators than adult tarantulas
- Tarantulas use special hairs and venom to defend themselves
- Different habitats have different kinds of tarantula predator
Tarantula Hawk Wasps: The Most Feared Tarantula Enemy
The tarantula hawk wasp is the worst nightmare for tarantulas. These wasps (like Pepsis grossa and Hemipepsis ustulata) hunt and sting tarantulas, making them unable to move. Then, the wasp lays eggs on the still-living spider.
“The relationship between tarantula hawks and tarantulas is one of the most dramatic examples of predator-prey coevolution in the natural world,” says Dr. Justin Schmidt, who studies insect stings.
When the baby wasps hatch, they eat the tarantula alive. Studies show these wasps succeed in over 90% of their attacks! You can find these wasps mostly in the Americas, especially in the Southwest US and Mexico.
It’s like the tarantula got caught by the neighborhood bully who never loses a fight! These wasps are so effective that they’ve become celebrities in the insect world. In fact, the state of New Mexico even made the tarantula hawk wasp their official state insect in 1989. That’s right—they gave a medal to the playground bully!
Other Bugs That Hunt Tarantulas
Tarantulas have many other invertebrate predators:
- Giant centipedes (Scolopendra species) that surprise and bite tarantulas
- Army ants that work together to overpower even large spiders
- Parasites like nematodes and mites that slowly weaken tarantulas
- Other spiders that sometimes eat tarantulas
According to research by Dr. Molinari, giant centipedes succeed in killing tarantulas 60-75% of the time when they attack.
Last summer, I watched a YouTube video of a giant centipede battling a tarantula, and let me tell you—it was more action-packed than any superhero movie! The centipede moved like lightning, circling and striking until the much larger spider couldn’t keep up. It’s like watching someone with a hundred boxing gloves taking on someone with just eight!
Mammals, Birds, and Reptiles That Eat Tarantulas
Larger animals also hunt tarantulas:
Mammals that eat tarantulas:
- Coatis (Nasua species) dig up tarantula burrows
- Foxes hunt tarantulas at night
- Opossums eat tarantulas when they find them
Birds that hunt tarantulas:
- Roadrunners (Geococcyx californianus) in desert areas
- Owls catch tarantulas at night
- Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) eat tarantulas in African grasslands
“Coatis have special techniques for finding and digging up tarantulas,” explains wildlife researcher Dr. Ben Hirsch. “They can dig up to 20cm deep to reach hidden tarantulas.”
You might say tarantulas have about as much chance of escaping a determined coati as I do of turning down chocolate cake—slim to none! These mammals are like the CSI team of the animal world, able to detect and uncover even the most carefully hidden spider homes.
Tarantula Life Stages and Predator Risk
Not all tarantulas face the same dangers. The stage of life matters a lot:
| Life Stage | Main Predators | Risk Level | Main Defense |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs/Egg sac | Wasps, fungi, ants | Very high (70-95%) | Mother guarding |
| Baby spiders | Small reptiles, ants | High (60-80%) | Hiding |
| Young tarantulas | Mammals, birds | Medium (40-60%) | Kicking hairs |
| Adult males | Birds, wasps | High (70-90%) | Venom, speed |
| Adult females | Hawk wasps, mammals | Low-Medium (20-40%) | Burrow defense |
Being a baby tarantula is like being a celebrity without bodyguards—everyone’s out to get you! Those little spiderlings have survival rates that would make any parent nervous. And don’t get me started on adult males—they’re so focused on finding love that they forget to watch their backs. Talk about being blindsided by romance!
How Tarantulas Defend Themselves
Tarantulas have survival strategies to avoid becoming prey:
- Kicking hairs – Many tarantulas have itchy hairs on their back that they kick at enemies
- Venom – Their bite can hurt or kill smaller predators
- Hiding – Most tarantulas stay in burrows during the day
- Threat displays – They stand up and show their fangs to scare away predators
Research by Dr. Pérez-Miles shows that the kicking hairs work against 65% of mammal predators but only stop 23% of wasp predators.
Imagine having hair so irritating you could use it as a weapon! It’s like being able to throw itching powder at anyone who bothers you. I wish I had that superpower during middle school! My friend Jake once had a pet tarantula that kicked hairs when startled—his mom wasn’t thrilled when the laundry room became a no-go zone for a week.
Habitat Matters for Tarantula Survival
Where a tarantula lives affects which enemies it faces:
- Desert tarantulas (Aphonopelma species) deal mostly with hawk wasps and roadrunners
- Rainforest tarantulas (Theraphosa species) face more threats from coatis and centipedes
- Grassland tarantulas get hunted by more birds and mammals
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has shown that desert tarantulas face the most danger during summer monsoon season when hawk wasps are most active.
It’s like real estate for spiders—location, location, location! A desert tarantula and a rainforest tarantula have about as much in common as a penguin and a camel. They’ve had to develop completely different survival skills based on who’s trying to eat them for lunch!
The Ecological Role of Tarantula Predation
Tarantula predators play an important part in nature’s balance. They keep tarantula populations from growing too large. At the same time, the danger from predators has forced tarantulas to develop better defense mechanisms.
Climate change is affecting these relationships. A study by Bradley & Bruyère shows that warming temperatures are helping tarantula hawk wasps move about 2.8km farther north each year. This means tarantulas in new areas now face these dangerous wasps.
“The predator-prey dynamics between tarantulas and their natural enemies represents a fascinating example of evolutionary arms race,” notes arachnologist Dr. Linda Rayor from Cornell University. “Each adaptation by the prey is met with counter-adaptations by the predator.”
Learn more about spider ecology and predator relationships at the American Arachnological Society.
With climate change shifting these delicate relationships, tarantulas are finding themselves in hot water—quite literally! Just last month, researchers in Nevada documented tarantula hawk wasps in areas where they’ve never been seen before. It’s like the spiders suddenly have new neighbors moving in, and these neighbors definitely don’t bring welcome cookies!
Understanding what hunts tarantulas helps us see how all living things are connected in nature’s web. Even these big, scary spiders have things they fear!
