I would rather spend time studying hornets rather then trantulas because i hate spiders. Some of them can kill you if they bite you, and with like hornets or any kind of bee i can swat them away or something.
These digger wasps, if you couldnt tell by there name dig into the ground and make there nest there. These wasp, also know ass killer wasps, are the most common kind of wasp found in Iowa. Even though they have the name killer wasp, i still woukld rater study and be around them then a turantula.
The digger wasp is about two inches long, they are black with yellow markings on the thorax and abdomen. So if i had to choose between the two of them, i would rather study the digger wasps, because i would feel a little safer studying and being around them.