Wasps exhibit a diverse diet, changing significantly with their life stage, species, and the time of year. Their dietary habits are complex and varied, involving both plant-based sugars and animal-based proteins. Understanding these behaviors offers insight into their ecological roles and interactions with human environments.
Life Stage Diets
The nutritional requirements of wasps differ between their adult and larval stages. Adult wasps primarily seek carbohydrates, like sugars, to fuel high-energy activities such as flying, hunting, and nest building. Larval wasps require a protein-rich diet for rapid growth and development. This dietary split means adult wasps forage for different food sources than those they bring back for their young.
Adult Wasp Food Sources
Adult wasps rely on sugary substances for energy, consuming nectar from flowers as a readily available source. Ripe and overripe fruits are another carbohydrate source, attracting wasps to their sweet juices. Additionally, adult wasps feed on honeydew, a sugary liquid from aphids, and some species also drink tree sap for energy. While their primary diet is carbohydrate-based, adult wasps occasionally consume protein, especially in early summer.
Larval Wasp Nourishment
Wasp larvae are fed a protein-rich diet, essential for their development. Adult worker wasps hunt and capture insects and arthropods like flies, caterpillars, and spiders, to provision their young. Prey items are often paralyzed by the adult wasp’s sting, then brought back to the nest. Adult wasps chew captured insects into a pulp before feeding them to the larvae. In some social species, larvae secrete a sugary liquid that adults consume, a process known as trophallaxis, creating a mutual nutrient exchange.
Dietary Variation Across Species
The diet of wasps varies across species, reflecting their diverse ecological roles.
Social Wasps
Social wasps, like yellow jackets and paper wasps, are opportunistic predators and scavengers. They provide insects and sometimes carrion to their larvae, while adults consume sugars. These species consume large quantities of insect pests, contributing to natural pest control.
Solitary Wasps
Solitary wasps are highly specialized predators. Spider wasps (family Pompilidae) exclusively hunt spiders, paralyzing them as live food for their larvae. Cicada killer wasps specialize in stinging and paralyzing cicadas, transporting them to burrows to feed their offspring. Adult solitary wasps typically feed on nectar, but primarily hunt prey for their young.
Parasitoid Wasps
Parasitoid wasps represent another distinct dietary strategy. Their larvae develop inside or on a host insect, slowly consuming it from within. This parasitic relationship ensures a continuous food supply for the larva, leading to the host’s demise. These species rarely interact with humans, as their feeding strategy relies entirely on a host organism.
Wasp Attraction to Human Food
Wasps are attracted to human food and outdoor gatherings, particularly in late summer and autumn. This attraction is primarily due to their need for sugar sources like sweet drinks, ripe fruits, and desserts. As natural nectar and honeydew may decline later in the season, wasps seek alternative sugars. Social wasps, like yellow jackets, are also drawn to protein sources like meat scraps, especially when provisioning larvae earlier in the season.