Wasp v fly

paddyland

I was in a restaurant over the weekend, and there was a wasp hovering around, buzzing against the window, occasionally doing a wide sweep across the room, and generally being a bit of a nuisance, as wasps do.

Next, however, the wasp did something I never saw before. It landed on the window sill, and attacked a small fly that was mooching around there. It rushed over, enclosed the fly in it's legs, and immediately began twisting it's yellow abdomen under as if to try to sting the fly. It wrestled and stung the fly viciously, twisting around and around. Then it proceeded to eat the fly.

I didn't know wasps did this. I thought they just scavenged for jam, or sugar, or all kinds of inert food. I didn't know they attacked live prey.

anniehoo

From Wiki: It seems they dont eat insects for nutrition for themselves but for their larvae.

wrote:

Generally wasps are parasites or parasitoids as larvae, and feed only on nectar as adults. Many wasps are predatory, using other insects (often paralyzed) as food for their larvae. A few social wasps are omnivorous, feeding on a variety of fallen fruit, nectar, and carrion. Some of these social wasps, such as yellowjackets, may scavenge for dead insects to provide for their young. In many social species the larvae provide sweet secretions that are fed to the adults.

Yi Harr

AFAIK whilst their diet would mainly consist of fruit, nectar and any sugary substances, they also eat carrion/insects.

I have witnessed wasps attack, kill and fly off with bees at the hive I have. One in particular wrestled with a bee and ended up biting the bee in half between the thorax and abdomen. The wasp then flew off with the abdomen of the bee.

CreedonsDogDayc

this thread is giving me shivers!