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Tarantula Hawk Pollinating Milkweed

Tarantula Hawk Wasp busy pollinating the yellow flowers of a Milkweed Plant in summer
Tarantula Hawk Wasp Pollinating a Rush Milkweed Plant

On a morning in late August, we were walking on the rocky ground near Palo Verde Canyon when we noticed the fruit and flowers of a tall Rush Milkweed plant, Asclepias subulata. Since a person doesn't see many flowering plants in the desert in the August heat, we decided to take a closer look.

Closeup of a Tarantual Hawk Wasp on a Milkweed Plant
Tarantula Hawk Wasp Looking for a Flower to Pollinate

Photo of Rush Milkweed, Asclepias subulata
Rush Milkweed, Asclepias subulata
Apocynaceae