Wasps play an important role in the ecosystem, but like any creature, they have predators that help keep their population in balance. Some of the top predators that hunt wasps include birds, spiders, praying mantises, frogs, lizards, and even other insects like robber flies. Understanding what eats wasps can provide useful insight into food chains and maintaining biodiversity.
Birds
Many species of birds feed on wasps, especially during the summer months when large nests offer abundant resources. Birds that are known to actively hunt wasps include:
- Blue jays
- Flycatchers
- Swallows
- Thrushes
- Woodpeckers
- Orioles
- Crows
- Warblers
These agile birds can deftly pluck wasps right out of the air or attack nests directly. Their vision enables them to track wasp movement and their beaks allow them to spear the insects swiftly. Many have even developed tactics for dismantling paper nests to access the larvae within.
Blue Jays
Blue jays are especially proficient wasp hunters. A 2012 study published in the journal Animal Behaviour found that blue jays were able to consume more than 70 paper wasps per hour by raiding nests. Their intelligence and problem-solving skills enable them to learn how to take apart the complex paper shelters and access the nutritious larvae inside.
Flycatchers
Flycatchers such as the great crested flycatcher build their nests in tree cavities, putting them in close proximity to paper wasp nests. As opportunistic insectivores, flycatchers will readily feed on any wasps that venture too close. They catch them in mid-flight and carry them back to their perch to consume.
Spiders
As formidable predators of insects, spiders capture and eat wasps of many species. Some of the most common spider families that prey on wasps include:
- Jumping spiders
- Crab spiders
- Orb-weaver spiders
- Wolf spiders
- Lynx spiders
With their speed, venom, and web-spinning abilities, spiders are well-equipped to overpower wasps. They often ambush them from hidden spots or entrap them in their sticky webs.
Orb-weaver Spiders
Orb-weaver spiders construct large, intricate webs that act as very effective wasp traps. Wasps blundering into these webs become entangled and unable to escape. The owner of the web feels the vibrations of the trapped insect and quickly moves in to immobilize it with a venomous bite before wrapping it in silk and storing it to eat later.
Spider Family | Hunting Tactics |
---|---|
Jumping spiders | Pounce and ambush |
Crab spiders | Camouflage and ambush |
Orb-weaver spiders | Trap with webs |
Wolf spiders | Active hunting and pursuit |
Lynx spiders | Stalking and ambush |
Praying Mantises
Praying mantises are voracious predators that consume all types of insects, including wasps. Their spiked forelegs are adept at seizing and securely grasping prey. They also have incredibly fast strike speeds, allowing them to snatch wasps right out of the air with their serrated raptorial forelegs.
Chinese Mantises
One of the most common praying mantis species in the United States is the Chinese mantis. It grows up to 4 inches long and comes in bright green or brown. These large, athletic predators are well equipped to capture wasps, even those that sting in defense like paper wasps. The mantis is able to crush the wasp swiftly, limiting any damage from the venom.
Frogs
Frogs sitting on lily pads or among vegetation may snag any wasp that flies or crawls within range of their long, sticky tongues. Some frogs that are known to eat wasps include:
- Green frogs
- Bullfrogs
- Tree frogs
- Narrow-mouthed toads
Frogs that feed on wasps have quick reflexes to avoid getting stung inside their mouths. They are also able to close their eyes when striking so the wasp cannot sting sensitive eye tissue.
Green Frogs
Green frogs are aptly named for their distinct green skin. They inhabit vegetation around ponds and wetlands across North America. These medium-sized frogs eat all kinds of insect prey, including snatching wasps out of the air with their tongue.
Lizards
Many lizards are opportunistic foragers on insects, including wasps. They have protective scales and thick skin to avoid serious injury from stings. Some examples of wasp-eating lizards include:
- Fence lizards
- Anoles
- Skinks
- Collared lizards
These quick reptiles snap up wasps resting on plants using their jaws and teeth. Some chase down wasps in mid-flight as well. Their sharp vision allows them to track wasp movements.
Fence Lizards
Fence lizards are common in the southern and western United States. As their name suggests, they are often seen perched on fences, logs, and rocks. These small, brown lizards eat insects like crickets, beetles, and wasps that they find wandering through their territory.
Robber Flies
Within the insect world, large predatory flies known as robber flies are a formidable predator of wasps. There are over 1,000 species of robber flies around the world. Some feed exclusively on other insects. Features that enable them to hunt wasps successfully include:
- Swift flying speed
- Long, spiny legs to grasp prey
- Tough exoskeleton resistant to some stings
- Short, strong beak for piercing prey
Robber flies often perch on branches or stems and ambush passing wasps, seizing them in mid-air. The wasp’s sting is not able to penetrate the robber fly’s thick body covering.
Bee Killers
One robber fly with the alarming name “bee killer” (genus Mallophora) is a documented wasp predator. True to their name, these large flies prey heavily on bees but also take wasps. Their stout bodies enable them to take multiple stings as they wrestle bee and wasp prey to the ground.
Conclusion
Wasps fill an important ecological role as pollinators and predators of pest insects. However, they must also serve as prey to maintain healthy predator-prey dynamics. Birds, spiders, mantises, frogs, lizards, and robber flies all help keep wasp populations in check as some of their most significant natural predators. Understanding these predator-prey relationships sheds light on important connections in the ecosystem.