The tarantula is one spider species you don’t want to mess with due to their venomous and painful bites. If that’s the case, how deadly is the tarantula hawk since this wasp is an expert at hunting tarantulas? The tarantula hawk is the largest of all wasp species and packs a venomous stinger that paralyzes the prey before laying an egg on the live prey. They are relatively docile and rarely attack humans. However, when they do, the sting is usually very painful but rarely fatal unless you develop allergic reactions to the venom.