A nightmare-inducing photo showing a huge tarantula hawk wasp tackling a deadly Huntsman spider has (understandably) horrified the internet after being posted online by the unfortunate individual who came on the scene.

Reddit user ‘space_monster’ posted the gruesome photo on the messaging board site, commenting that they had just arrived back at their Sydney home to find the pair in situ. The post generated 38.9k overall upvotes and 3.5k comments within a day.

The wasp species, which grows to around 2.5 inches in length, is no stranger to tackling chunky arachnids and particularly favors tarantulas as its prey. The flying insect stings its hapless victim to paralyze it, before laying an egg on the spider which later hatches and feasts on the immobile tarantula (or, in this case, Huntsman spider).

The huge Huntsman spider, meanwhile, has a similarly devastating technique for its prey, injecting venom to incapacitate it before consumption. Despite the size disparity between the two species, it seems the wasp was the victor on this occasion.

To say other Redditors were alarmed by the image is a serious understatement. “I come home to find that, I’m burning the house down. It’s the only way to be sure,” one wrote.

“This is exactly the reason why we all need to just step back and let Australia burn,” another remarked. “Just let it burn.”

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Many pointed out that they “just knew” where the photo was taken before even reading the caption, saying, “Of course it’s in f**king Australia.”

However, they might be disappointed to discover that the big stinging wasps are found in many places worldwide, including southeast Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe. The huge arachnid is also found far from Australian shores, with some species even living in the colder climate of northern Europe.

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