Aggressive Wasp

[jennyb]

Last weekend I watched a wasp attack a red admiral in my garden. Are wasps usually so aggressive? I wonder what could have brought on the attack? The red admiral quickly moved away. Here are a couple of pictures.





Jenny

[Gill Catton]

wasps are predators and that's why a wasp nest isn't totally a bad thing to have in your gerden because they eat a lot of the pest species. I suspect this one may have bitten off a little more than it can chew!!
The other day I was trying to take a pic of a pretty and fairly small bee and a wasp came out of nowhere and attacked it under my nose!! It failed so I guess they probably just try their luck !

[jennyb]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

wasps are predators and that's why a wasp nest isn't totally a bad thing to have in your gerden because they eat a lot of the pest species. I suspect this one may have bitten off a little more than it can chew!!

The butterfly was the one that was scared in this case. It shut up it's wings and when the wasp came back to attack again and again it decided to move away.

Interesting you should mention the wasp nest - I found one yesterday in our garden hedge. I uploaded a photo of it but it has not reached the Gallery yet. I could not make up my mind what to do about it but thought that it was far enough away from the house to leave it alone. Your comment has put my mind at rest about that.

Thanks,

Jenny

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by jennyb

The butterfly was the one that was scared in this case. It shut up it's wings and when the wasp came back to attack again and again it decided to move away.

Interesting you should mention the wasp nest - I found one yesterday in our garden hedge. I uploaded a photo of it but it has not reached the Gallery yet. I could not make up my mind what to do about it but thought that it was far enough away from the house to leave it alone. Your comment has put my mind at rest about that.

Thanks,

Jenny

I had a wasp's nest in my garden a few years back - never had any trouble with it!
Yet this year - no nest and I got stung!!

[jennyb]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

this year - no nest and I got stung!!

I don't like wasps. I got stung last year - it got caught in my hair and could not get out.

Every 4 or 5 years they make a nest in the eaves above our front door. I have to admit that we get someone to come and get rid of it when that happens.

Jenny

[Shhhkiki]

Eeeeyooo!

I just watched a wasp attack a Red Admiral... and then devour its abdomen! I first noticed the hideous scene when my cat homed in on it. The butterfly frantically flapping its wings, the wasp perservering ruthlessly.

Like the cat, I wanted to intervene, though I think for different reasons. Before I could muster the courage, however, it was clear that the wasp had won as the butterfly ceased flapping and the wasp tucked in! Sitting atop the butterfly, the wasp ate with gusto, leaving a puss-filled hole and a disheveled corpse!

I now have a very bad case of the heebie-jeebies!

[aeshna5]

Welcome to WAB Shhhkiki. Nature in the raw- interesting observation.

[bigdave60dog]

That is an amazing observation indeed. It may not be as straightforward as some may think.
Wasps adults are not carnivorous but eat nectar etc. The wasp Grubs are carnivorous and rely on the adults to catch flies etc to bring them to adulthood.
A wasp nest may be likened to an annual plant withe whole purpose of the nest being to release as many fertilized queens into the area s possible and all activities are geared to that end. You will notice that untill about mid Jult wasps are dashing around feeding and hunting, usually avoiding getting into trouble with jam etc.
it is when the nest is fully developed and the last bunch of Queens are pupae that the worker wasps go on holiday and "Party all day long" eating fermenting fruit, getting into jam-pots and all the things that we hate wasps for in general. They have nothing to do but get into trouble.
I suggest that these obs of wasps catching Red Admirals is an extension of this mischief. Red Admirals also love to top up with fermenting fruit. I suggest that the Wasps were after the contents of the Butterflies abdomen rather than the butterfly itself.
Dave

[faz]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Welcome to WAB Shhhkiki. Nature in the raw- interestingi observation.

very interesting did it come back to its kill

[JRsbugs]

Originally Posted by bigdave60dog

Wasps adults are not carnivorous but eat nectar etc. Dave

I have seen a Mellinus arvensis female eating a fly, usually they take them to the nest. I don't know what their normal diet is but I haven't seen them feeding on flowers. This isn't the same sort of wasp of course but there is a possibilty Vespula species occasionally eat insects, maybe Stuart or Matt could tell us more.