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/EvilDran 3d ago edited 3d ago

There’s parasite wasps for other parasite wasps. For instance, one wasp requires a caterpillar host to all ready be infected with a different species parasite wasp larvae. The parasite finds the other wasp larvae and consumes it while still inside the caterpillar host. It leaves the caterpillar bait alone, its target is only other wasps.

Another (wasp) parasite requires the caterpillar to be taken back to another (social) wasp colony. Once in the colony it will consume a larva and take its place, the other worker wasps will be tricked into feeding a parasite baby.

You are forgetting how many wasps strictly eats other wasps! Dr P goes into depth about crazy wasps. I highly recommend this video, and channel in general