[Odonata-l] unusual predation of Cordulia shurtleffi?

[Herschel Raney]

As far as I know, no spider wasp, or Pompilid, will take a dragon for 
any reason. And the large list of Sphecid wasps in the US includes none 
that I know of that use dragons for feeding their voracious larva. A 
Sphecid species stashing a dragon would be a reportable incident. Unless 
it was a show-off Polistes, and even that would be odd, I am not sure 
which wasp you might have seen. It is an interesting observation indeed. 
If, in fact, it was not a hornet which I think will eat anything. Did 
you have any further description of the dragonslayer?

Herschel Raney
Conway AR


Lynn Harper wrote:
>
> In yet another wasp-ode interaction, about 6 weeks ago I was walking 
> near a flood control dam in Oxford, MA, when I heard that distinctive 
> buzz of captured-dragonfly wings.  I tracked down the noise and found 
> an Epitheca wrestling on the ground with a much smaller brown wasp 
> (possibly a spider-killing wasp, as best as I can identify).  I assume 
> the wasp had stung the baskettail before I happened on the scene, but 
> while I was there, the wasp wrestled with the dragonfly for a minute 
> or so, till the ode calmed down somewhat.  Then the wasp proceeded to 
> neatly chew off the wing bases and abdomen, all in one piece, followed 
> by chewing off the head.  Finally, the wasp manipulated the thorax for 
> ten seconds or so, and then flew off with it.  It appeared as though 
> the thorax was quite a big load for the wasp.
>
> Utterly fascinating, if a bit on the gruesome side.
>
> Lynn Harper
>
> Athol, MA
>
>     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>     From: /"Fred SaintOurs" <fred.saintours at comcast.net>/
>     To: /<Odonata-l at listhost.ups.edu>/
>     Subject: /Re: [Odonata-l] unusual predation of Cordulia shurtleffi?/
>     Date: /Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:22:56 -0400/
>
>     A few weeks ago a friend here in eastern MA reported witnessing
>     something similar in his back yard. He claims to have watched a
>     giant Vespula crabro (a.k.a. the European Hornet) attack and
>     consume a bright green dragonfly (likely Erythemis simplicicollis)
>     in mid flight. It also seemed only interested in the head and
>     flight muscle.
>      
>     FS
>
>         ----- Original Message -----
>         *From:* Kevin Hannah <mailto:kchannah at yahoo.com>
>         *To:* Odonata-l at listhost.ups.edu
>         <mailto:Odonata-l at listhost.ups.edu>
>         *Sent:* Sunday, July 08, 2007 12:02 PM
>         *Subject:* [Odonata-l] unusual predation of Cordulia shurtleffi?
>
>
>         I witnessed what I thought was quite an unusual predation
>         event on a Cordulia shurtleffi this past month.  While walking
>         along the brushy edge of a forest, I heard a small thump in
>         the leaf litter, followed by some buzzing and thrashing.  When
>         I got closer to investigate, I realized that it was an emerald
>         being consumed (alive) by what appeared to be a bald-faced
>         wasp (Dolichovespula maculata).  I had seen these wasps prey
>         on horse flies (Hybomitra spp.) on the wing, but this was the
>         first time I had seen this species with such a large and
>         difficult prey item.  I can only assume that the wasp captured
>         the emerald while sunning high up in one of the nearby spruce
>         trees.  I can't imagine that the wasp would have been capable
>         of taking such a large prey item on the wing.  The wasp
>         consumed the eyes and a portion of the thorax before flying
>         off.  Not sure how common an event this would be, though an
>         exciting one from my standpoint!
>
>         Kevin Hannah
>         Edmonton, Alberta
>
>
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