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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea sans Anthophila – Apoid Wasps » Square-headed Wasps, Sand Wasps, and Allies (Crabronidae) » Pemphredoninae » Pemphredonini » Pemphredonina » Pemphredon

Photo#111626

Copyright © 2007 Lynette Elliott

Aphid-hunting Wasp - Pemphredon

Thompson Falls, Sanders County, Montana, USA
May 16, 2007
Size: around 10 mm

While photographing the aphids and ants on this pine tree, I was lucky enough to see a tiny wasp fly in and hunt around for the tiny baby aphids. It was careful to avoid the ants which were protecting the aphids. When it found one, it took it to the tip of a needle, hung upside down and ate it.
See aphids and ants here:

Images of this individual: tag all

Aphid-hunting Wasp - Pemphredon

Aphid-hunting Wasp - Pemphredon

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Contributed by Lynette Elliott on 21 May, 2007 - 8:46pm
Last updated 6 March, 2011 - 11:09am

Unlinking?

The wasp and the ant should be unlinked as they are not the same individual. It would be nice to use the [thumb:#] instead to show that they were in proximity, one predating on the aphids, the other farming them and protecting them.
Did you actually see it eating the aphid? Ordinarily they inject them with some paralyzing substance and use them to provision their nests. See:

… Beatriz Moisset, 6 March, 2011 - 7:42am

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Thanks Beatriz

I fixed the thumbnails and linking. I did see it eating the aphid. I guess it was hungry! =]

… Lynette Elliott, 6 March, 2011 - 11:10am

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Or thirsty

There is an interesting study of a related wasp, Diodontus, resorting to drinking the juices of aphids to avoid dehydration in some circumstances. It seems to be a rare phenomenon. It is nice that you observed that. Journal of the Kansas entomological society

… Beatriz Moisset, 6 March, 2011 - 12:05pm

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Very interesting

Thanks for the link.

… Lynette Elliott, 6 March, 2011 - 12:11pm

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Formicinae: Formica

Nice bit of natural history, Lynette! The ant is a member of the Formica microgyna complex of species, often hard to identify even with a specimen in hand and good magnification!

… James C. Trager, 17 March, 2010 - 1:26pm

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Pemphredon

females provision nest cells with Aphididae

… John S. Ascher, 21 May, 2007 - 9:06pm

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