Untersuchungen über die Beute von Paravespula vulgaris L. (Hym., Vespidae) und ihre Abhängigkeit von der Beutetierdichte

Summary During the autumn of 1964 of several nests of the wasp Paravespula vulgaris the composition of the prey was examined. To this purpose a new type of capture apparatus was made, which could be attached to the entrance of a ground nest in situ or to a hive containing a nest from elsewhere. Samples were taken simultaneously at two nests of about the same size, not more than 75 m apart. Both quality and quantity of the prey differed considerably. In one case the prey that was brought in on one afternoon, consisted for 80% of one species, Dilophus febilus. It was therefore, we investigated whether there could be specialisation on certain prey species. Artificial concentrations of larvae of Bupalus piniarius were planted on shoots of Pinus silvestris. Marked wasps were seen to return frequently to places where they had found a prey once, even several days after all Bupalus larvae had been taken. When the wasps had found a prey, they explored the direct surroundings much longer than when they had found nothing. Thus the differences in composition of the prey brought to the nest could be the consequence of place-specialisation of the wasps.