For the first time this last summer, I observed bee-killing wasps
working my two honeybee colonies at Canton, GA USA.  Canton is about
80 km north of Atlanta, GA.  The wasps appear to be the "bee wolf",
*Philanthus ventrilabris*.  I made the following observations, and I
would be happy to hear from others who have watched this species at
work.
 
    There were at least five wasps involved though seldom were there
more than three at the colonies.  Occasionally if a wasp was hunting
around a colony and another wasp approached, a "chase" would ensue.
One of the wasps was about 2/3 the size of the others, but appeared to
have the same markings and coloration.
 
    The wasps would fly in front and to the side of the colonies,
perhaps 20-50 cm from the hive entrance.  Honeybees were taken on the
wing as well as when resting on the hive or ground near the hive.
Worker bees were taken most often, though I did observe drones being
taken also.   When the wasp took a bee, they would fall to the ground
with the wasp apparently stinging the prey.  The wasp then flew,
carrying the bee, up to a twig on a nearby shrub or tree.  There did
not appear to be a single, consistent place where a particular wasp
would go to eat its prey.
 
    The wasps often flew to a twig only about two meters above the
ground; hence, it was easy to make observations from within 15 cm of
the wasp as it ate the bee.  The wasp would hang by a hind leg as it
ate the bee, eating the bee from the ventral surface and eating only
the insides. The exoskeleton and wings would fall away leaving the
wasp with the head of the bee.  The wasp appeared to roll the head
around in its front and middle pair of legs, then it flew away with
the head.
 
    There is a lilac bush about 30 meters southwest of the hives, on
the other side of my house.  I observed three of the wasps at one
time, and two at another time, at the base of the lilac bush where the
bark had been removed from the trunk.  The bark had apparently been
chewed off for the scar was located to the inside of the lilac bush
and was surrounded by other trunks.  The damaged to the bark could not
have been done by the lawn mower or other yard tools.  I speculate
that it was removed by the wasps.  There were also two or three small
wasps ("Yellow jacket" type) at the bark scar also.  I assume that the
wasps were getting sap from the lilac bush, or perhaps could have been
chewing bark to be used for nest building.  I haven't tried to look up
any extensive information on the nesting habits of the "bee wolves",
though one reference stated that they are solitary, ground-nesting
wasps.
 
 
 
    I wanted to collect some specimens of the wasp for a friend who
teaches classes on beekeeping at a local college.  I took an aerosol
can of "Choke and Carbuerator Cleaner" and sprayed the wasps on the
lilac bush.  It "did them in" nicely after which I pinned and labeled
them.  Large stinger!  I certainly don't want to get zapped by one! :)
 
    These are some of my observations and thoughts.  If you can offer
me any of your insight, I would appreciate it very much.
 
 
 
 
-----------------------------------------------------
|  James D. Satterfield  |  [log in to unmask] |
|  P.O. Box 2243         |  [log in to unmask]        |
|  Decatur, GA 30031 USA |  Telephone 404 378-8917  |
-----------------------------------------------------