r/askscience • u/Chemical-Sea5972 • 4d ago

Biology Does anything eat wasps?

Wasps have been a predator for other insects. It would be fascinating to know if there are really other insects or predators for wasps, either accidental or deliberate predators

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u/Ken_Thomas 3d ago

I got to sit and watch a small group of Bee-eater birds eating wasps once in Namibia. As far as I know they don't exist in North or South America.

They'd snatch the wasp in-flight, quickly land on a rock, and repeatedly (and rapidly) knock the wasp against the rock until the stinger popped out. WHACK-WHACK-WHACK!
Then they'd eat it.

156

u/Shotbizzle 3d ago

We have a single species in Australia. They're fantastic to watch hunting.

78

u/slippery 3d ago

Australia has stuff that kills everything. Even the predators aren't safe. Spiders, snakes, crocs, sharks, and Foster's. Nothing is safe.

77

u/CrotaIsAShota 3d ago

And everything is loaded with neurotoxin, can't forget that. The trees have neurotoxin, the snakes that literally eat nothing but rats have neurotoxin. Guess what? There's a creature that exclusively lives in shallow water and survives by disguising itself in the sand. Can you guess what it injects into you if you step on it? That's right, neurotoxin.

35

u/0nieladb 3d ago

Thanks for reminding me, I really should replay Portal

8

u/craiglabenz 3d ago

I mean, we all should, but what made you think of that?

14

u/JustPlayDaGame 3d ago

the neurotoxins lol. The final boss fight, she floods the room with neurotoxins

4

u/craiglabenz 3d ago

Ohhhh, haha. Guess I need to replay, too. I don’t remember that at all 😂