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SysEB

Student Competition 10-Minute Paper

Grad 10-min: SysEB, Social Insects

Who preys upon the predators? Taxonomic and biogeographic variation of predators of social wasp (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) colonies

On-Demand
Student Competition On-Demand
Social insects are well-known for their aggressive response to a nest disturbance. Still, colonies are often attacked due to the high protein cache (in the form of brood) enveloped in nests. Social wasps provide a variety of defense mechanisms to exclude predators, including coordinated stinging response. Here we ask: Which predatory pressures have shaped the defensive strategies displayed by social wasps to protect their colonies? We reviewed the literature and explored social media to compare direct and indirect evidence of predators of individuals and colonies of wasps. Wasp colony predators vary across subfamilies of Vespidae. Polistine wasps are predominantly preyed upon by ants (Order: Hymenoptera) and birds (Order: Passeriformes); whereas vespines are predominantly predated upon by badgers and bears (Order: Carnivora), and hawks (Order: Accipitriformes). Humans (Orders: Primates) were also common predators of Vespinae wasp colonies. Ants and hornets (Order: Hymenoptera) were the only predator observed attacking Stenogastrine colonies. The probability of predation by these five main Orders of predators varied across biogeographic landscapes. We discuss these results in terms of geographic distribution and the relationship between life history traits of predators and prey.