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|  » Stats |
Members: 50,172
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| | Welcome to our newest member, lemajanyvb | |  | 
23-08-2009, 08:00 PM
|  | Active Member | | Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 46
| | | Strange behaviour
Sitting in the garden to-day I was watching a spider with a part of a wasp in its web which it looked like it was eating, Another wasp came by and went straight for the spider several times it 'bombed' it, the spider dropped to the ground and the wasp took the other wasp bit in it's jaws [presumably] and flew off, Now was it after a meal [didn't think they were cannibals]? or rescuing it's own kind, anyone got any ideas is this common or was I seeing somethiong unusual?
Last edited by A-daisy-a-day; 23-08-2009 at 08:01 PM.
Reason: spelling
|
24-08-2009, 08:17 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: S. Devon
Posts: 3,900
| | | Re: Strange behaviour
I have seen wasps stealing prey from spider webs before, in exactly the same manner as you describe. They quickly cut the web threads, grasp the prey in their legs and fly off with it. Somewhere on this site I have some photos of this happening.
I've also witnessed some trying the same trick on large Araneus diadematus webs where they came off 'second best'.
In my experience, wasps consider anything as fair game which would include a partly eaten member of their own species.
I've managed to find one of the photos of a wasp about to fly off with it's booty from a spider's web. 
Last edited by Geoff F; 24-08-2009 at 08:30 PM.
Reason: photo added
|
24-08-2009, 09:53 PM
| | Active Member | | Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 46
| | | Re: Strange behaviour
Thanks for reply Geoff, yes it's exactly how I witnessed it, cheeky blighters, I was quite fascinated, it wasn't a diadem spider it was quite small and probably thought discretion was the better part of valour, iked the photo. DId you see the photos of wasp nest I put on the Gallery, there seems to be a lot around this summer. Ain't nature fascinating? |
28-08-2009, 01:37 AM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: On the edge of Romney Marsh, Kent
Posts: 1,178
| | | Re: Strange behaviour
I think that wasps will 'predate' upon anything edible, even their own kind!
If their need dictates, that is.
Naturegirl 
__________________
First, do no harm! |
28-08-2009, 03:13 PM
| | Active Member | | Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 46
| | | Re: Strange behaviour
Nasty creatures all round, I read that three people were killed in Britain this year by them. |
28-08-2009, 05:33 PM
|  | Wild Member | | Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Suffolk
Posts: 212
| | | Re: Strange behaviour
Spiders and their webs don't seem to hold much fear for wasps. I've seen a wasp land on a leaf, crawl on the underside and grab the spider (a Meta maybe) that was sheltering there. Holding the spider between its front legs it turned the spider round, biting off each of its legs as it did so. Then it flew off with the spider's body. | | |
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