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Reply	Michael says: The following answer has been selected and edited by New Scientist staffThe lowly wasp certainly has its place in the food chain. Indeed, the question should possibly be "what doesn't feed, in one way or another, on this lowly and potentially dangerous insect?"Here are a few that do, the first list being invertebrates: several species of dragonflies (Odonata); robber and hoverflies (Diptera); wasps (Hymenoptera), usually the larger species feeding on smaller species, such as social paper wasps (Vespula maculata) eating V. utahensis; beetles (Coleoptera); and moths (Lepidoptera).The following are vertebrates that feed on wasps: numerous species of birds, skunks, bears, badgers, bats, weasels, wolverines, rats, mice and last, but certainly not least, humans and probably some of our closest ancestors.I have eaten the larvae of several wasp species fried in butter, and found them quiet tasty.Orvis Tilby, Salem, Oregon, US  (no votes) Tags: unanswered, domestic science, animals, human body.
	posted on 2008-02-01 14:56:00 | Report abuse

Reply	Michael says: The following answer has been selected and edited by New Scientist staffThe definitive source on European birds, Birds of the Western Palearctic, lists a remarkable 133 species that at least occasionally consume wasps. The list includes some very unexpected species, such as willow warblers, pied flycatchers and Alpine swifts, but two groups of birds are well-known for being avid vespivores. Bee-eaters (Meropidae) routinely devour wasps, destinging them by wiping the insect vigorously against a twig or wire. And honey buzzards raid hives for food. They are especially partial to bee larvae, but in the UK, wasps - again mostly larvae - also form a major part of their diet.Simon Woolley, Winchester, Hampshire, UK  (no votes) Tags: unanswered, domestic science, animals, human body.
	posted on 2008-02-01 14:57:00 | Report abuse

Reply	Michael says: The following answer has been selected and edited by New Scientist staffThis photograph, taken in my garden, shows a mason wasp having its internal juices removed via the proboscis of a large insect.Tim Hart, La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain  (no votes) Tags: unanswered, domestic science, animals, human body.
	posted on 2008-02-01 14:58:00 | Report abuse

Reply	Michael says: The following answer has been selected and edited by New Scientist staffIn July 1972 I was snorkelling off the Californian island of Catalina. I returned to the east cliff of the island as sunlight was leaving the shore. In a crevice at the base of the cliff I saw a crab holding a wasp, which was still moving.My photograph shows the right pincer holding part of the wasp while the left pincer carries the wasp's abdomen to the crab's mouth.The crab did not show any sign that it was startled by the taste of its meal.Garry Tee, Auckland, New Zealand  (no votes) Tags: unanswered, domestic science, animals, human body.
	posted on 2008-02-01 14:59:00 | Report abuse

Reply	Michael says: The following answer has been selected and edited by New Scientist staffBadgers will dig out a wasps' nest and eat the larvae and their food base. This picture shows an underground nest demolished in the summer of 2003.Tony Jeans, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK  (no votes) Tags: unanswered, domestic science, animals, human body.
	posted on 2008-02-01 15:00:00 | Report abuse

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