Sighting 4209034
1 European wasp at Acton, ACT
Identification history
| Vespula germanica | 15 May 2019 | MichaelMulvaney | ||
| Vespula germanica | 14 May 2019 | TimL |
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User's notes
This is one of a series of sightings of 5 European Wasps that were systematically stinging many European Honey Bees as the bees were drinking water from the road surface. The wasps returned to the dying bees and typically cut each one in half before either flying away with the lower half of each bee, or removing the contents of the lower half and flying away with that. This behaviour has been observed at several areas within the ANBG wherever the European Honey Bees congregate for water or flowers. Thanks to Marcus Leach for the initial sighting.
4 comments
MichaelBedingfield
wrote:
15 May 2019
Hi Tim
Good observations. Are you quick enough to follow the wasps to their nest? That would be a good find.
Good observations. Are you quick enough to follow the wasps to their nest? That would be a good find.
TimL
wrote:
15 May 2019
Hi Michael,
Thanks. I wasn't able to locate their nest on that occasion but I'll follow up on the sighting and identify the location if I find it, and the location of any other nests I find. The sobering thing about these wasp sightings was just how aggressive the European Wasps were and what little chance the Honey Bees stood. The European Wasps were quite clinical about going after every Honey Bee that was present and stinging the lot.
Thanks. I wasn't able to locate their nest on that occasion but I'll follow up on the sighting and identify the location if I find it, and the location of any other nests I find. The sobering thing about these wasp sightings was just how aggressive the European Wasps were and what little chance the Honey Bees stood. The European Wasps were quite clinical about going after every Honey Bee that was present and stinging the lot.
MichaelBedingfield
wrote:
15 May 2019
Amazing stuff. They are a significant predator in the insect world !
Location information
- Coordinates 149.107717-35.276634
- Maps ANBG
- Places Acton, ACT
Sighting information
- 5 Abundance
- 11 May 2019 01:28 PM Recorded on
- TimL Recorded by
-
Collections
Michaelb Bedingfield's Flagged sightings Featured sightings Insects Social or paper-nest wasps (Vespidae, Polistinae & Vespinae) Wasps (Hymenoptera, Apocrita) TimL
Additional information
- 12mm to 25mm Animal size
Species information
- Vespula germanica Scientific name
- European wasp Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Exotic
- Major weed or pest
- Up to 1366.2m Recorded at altitude
- Machine learning
- External link More information
Record quality
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes
