Unusual Incident.

[flicrat]

While waiting at the bus stop this morning, we noticed a fluttering of wings on the ground and there was a lime hawk moth trying desperately to flap its wings and get airborne - to no avail - and then we saw a wasp, also at ground level, flying at it and chasing it and going for it. The wasp was killed, but the moth still couldn't fly off the ground. The bus came before we could see more of the drama. Could the moth have been stung and was therefore dying of poison? Why would the wasp have attacked it in the middle of the pavement? There were trees and a hedge behind us, main road in front.

[wolf63]

The awful thing is that you will never know for certain what happened.

Where are the CCTV cameras when you need them?

;-)

[flicrat]

Thanks wolf!! Another lady and I had a conversation about it all the way into town, but couldn't guess why the moth was attacked.

[wildwood]

Isn't that how wasps breed? Sting an insect to paralise and bury it and lay an egg on it so the larva has a readymade larder?

btw I am intrigued by your avatar. Is that a red mutant ringneck?

[flicrat]

Thanks wildwood. yes I know some wasps lay eggs in caterpllar hosts, but not heard of them doing it in moths. And anyway I think this was a common wasp where the queen lays in the nest like bees, and it apeared to have killed the moth!

[argorstran]

I think that the moth may have disturbed a wasps nest and got stung . When a wasp stings it also marks you with a chemical that other wasps can pick up on and identify you as hostile . What you saw may have been another wasp attacking the moth which had been marked as an intruder . If a nest is disturbed wasps will fight to the death - they are incredibly brave creatures .

[flicrat]

Thankyou argostran. That is very interesting - and very likely, I guess. I feel a true naturalist would have missed the bus and found out more! But I was running to a tight time schedule.( Excuses!)