Greek Ground Longhorn vs Tarantula Hawk

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Greek Ground Longhorn	Tarantula Hawk
Scientific Name	Dorcadion graecum	Pepsis grossa
Order	Coleoptera	Hymenoptera
Family	Cerambycidae	Pompilidae
Size	12-17 mm	40-65 mm
Habitat	Heathland	Heathland
Diet	Root Feeders	Predators
Regions	Greece	North America, South America
Conservation	Near Threatened	Least Concern

Greek Ground Longhorn

A stout, flightless longhorn endemic to Greece with black elytra bearing distinct white pubescent stripes. It is found on grassy hillsides and is active during the cooler hours of the day. Populations are highly fragmented due to habitat loss.

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Did You Know?

Each Greek island and mountain range often harbors its own endemic subspecies of Dorcadion.

Tarantula Hawk

A giant wasp that hunts tarantulas. The female paralyzes a tarantula with her sting, drags it to a burrow, and lays an egg on it — the larva eats the spider alive.

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Did You Know?

The tarantula hawk has the second most painful sting of any insect — but the pain lasts only about 5 minutes. Scientists recommend just lying down and screaming.