Multiple cues guarantee successful predation by a Neotropical wasp

What is it about?

Predatory social wasps are well studied in several aspects; however, foraging behavior, especially that which takes place away from the nest at often unpredictable locations, or specialized behaviors to find and subdue prey are not well understood. ”. In this study we hypothesized and tested in the field that social wasps utilize a combination of different mechanisms such as visual, chemical (odor) and possible tactile cues to find and prey on endophytic larvae. Our results suggest that the B. lecheguana, a Neotropical wasp, utilizes a sequence of eco-physiological mechanisms to find the endophytic larva inside floral buds: sight, smell, and touch.

Featured Image

Photo by Kai Wenzel on Unsplash

Photo by Kai Wenzel on Unsplash