AUSTIN, Texas -- Tarantulas are among the most-feared critters in Texas. They are capable of killing rodents, birds, and lizards.

But even the tarantulas have an enemy of their own.

It's one of nature's most epic rivalries: a tarantula hawk versus a tarantula.

This video captured by a TWC News viewer shows an epic battle between a tarantula hawk and a tarantula, with the wasp dragging the paralyzed spider along the ground in Lake Belton, Texas.

The wasps feed the tarantulas to their offspring, and female tarantula hawks are known to lay their larvae inside the spider's body.

Tarantula hawks are common in the Southwest U.S., especially in Texas.

They are considered to be docile and non-aggressive. But if you're scared of tarantulas and are pondering the idea of getting one of these wasps for protection, think again.

The sting of a tarantula hawk is measured as the second-most painful sting in the world.

According to Dr. Justin Schmidt, an entomologist from the Southwestern Biological Institute, "a sting feels like a lightning bolt strike on the spot."

As for the most painful sting in the world? That award goes to the bullet ant, whose agonizing sting lasts 12 to 24 hours, compared to a tarantula hawk sting, which typically lasts for a few minutes. 

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