Wayne's Word Index Noteworthy Plants Trivia Lemnaceae Biology 101 Botany Scenic Wildflowers Trains Spiders & Insects Search Joshua Tree Road Trip Spring 2015 Part 4      Home        Part 1        Part 2        Part 3        Part 4        Part 5        Part 6   Milkweeds & Tarantula Hawk Wasps Desert milkweed (Asclepias erosa) and tarantula hawk wasp (Pepsis). Illustrations Of The Remarkable Bisexual Milkweed Blossom by E.M. Armstrong Close-up view of the corona and gynostegium of desert milkweed (Asclepias erosa). The corona includes five petaloid appendages arising from the filaments of the five stamens, including the hoods and horns. The gynostegium is a characteristic milkweed structure formed by the fusion of the stamens with the stigma. Pollen masses (pollinia) from adjacent anther sacs are attached by thread-like translator arms which are joined together at the corpusculum. The translator is snagged by the leg of an insect that inadvertently slips down into the stigmatic slit. As the insect flies away, the pollinia are pulled out of the anther sacs like a pair of saddlebags, and are carried off to another milkweed blossom. Only larger insects (such as strong wasps) can pull away with the pollinia attached to their legs. The legs of smaller, feeble flying insects may remain trapped in the stigmatic slits and never leave the flower's death trap. Why I Don't Touch Tarantula Hawk (Pepsis) Wasps! The Schmidt Sting Pain Index Sting Rating Hymenopteran Comparison Analogy 1.0 Sweat Bee Like a tiny spark has has singed a hair on your arm. 1.2 Fire Ant Like walking on a carpet & getting a static electricity shock. 1.8 Bullhorn Acacia Ant Like someone fired a staple into your cheek or hand. 2.0 Bald-Faced Hornet Like getting your hand mashed in a revolving door. 2.0 Yellowjacket Like extinguishing a cigar on your tongue. 2.0+ Honey Bee Like a burning matchhead that lands on your skin. 3.0 Red Harvester Ant Like using a drill to excavate your ingrown toenail. 3.0 Paper Wasp Like spilling a beaker of hydrochloric acid on a paper cut. 4.0 Pepsis Wasp Like dropping a running hair drier into your bubble bath. 4.0+ Bullet Ant Walking on hot charcoals with 3 inch rusty nail in your heel. All images on this page copyright © W.P. Armstrong