Are there bee hunting wasps?
Hunting wasp
Bearing this in mind, and that each of the superfamilies under discussion includes families other than those listed here, families that are in no way hunting wasps, consider the following, consulting the links and references for detailed discussion of the biology:Although it had long been realised that bees were in essence a natural grouping of wasps that fed primarily on nectar and pollen, it took the development of molecular biology to demonstrate the actual grouping of true bees with the following families of definitive hunting wasps.These cockroach wasps are a popular example of a primitive mode of hunting wasp behaviour; they do not build a secure nest for their prey plus its egg, but conceal it in the most convenient crack or burrow, in which respect their behaviour resembles that of some of the Bethylidae.A very large family with varied habits and a wide range of prey species. Crabronid species in some taxa concentrate on flies, others on bees, others on cicadas, but the overwhelming majority build tunnels, whether single or branched, with one or more larvae inside.These are a widely varied family, including the digger wasps and mud daubersThese are generally large wasps that hunt subterranean insects, usually beetle larvae. Commonly they do little to conceal the paralysed prey, but lay the egg on it underground.Another large and varied family. They include the social wasps such as paper wasps and hornets. These are hunting wasps in the sense that they hunt animal food, generally insects, but they do not subtly paralyse them; instead they more or less butcher them and carry the most nutritious portions back to the colony to feed the young progressively. Other Vespidae include the solitary potter wasps, that are classical examples of hunting wasps of the kind that build their nests out of mud. The Masarinae or pollen wasps are the major exception in the family in that they do not hunt at all, but instead feed their larvae pollen and nectar, as many members of the superfamily Apoidea do.
Liostenogaster vechti
The main predators of these wasps are hornets (especially "Vespa tropica"), ichneumonid flies, and ants. The hornets attack and damage the nests by ripping the cells apart with their mandibles and then extracting portions of the brood. Raided nests can easily be identified by locating cells that have been ripped or torn. When a hornet or other flying predator approaches, the wasps engage in aerial attacks by throwing themselves into the air in the direction of the potential danger. They actually engage in this behavior very frequently and do so in response to any insect of similar size to hornets that approaches the nests in a questionable manner. When ants approach or invade the nests, the wasps will either grab the ants and drag them away from the nests, or, if the ants are especially large, the wasps will first assume a defensive posture, seize the ants, and then purposely fall out of the nests to ensure the ants are removed. Spiders may also prey on these wasps, but they are much more likely to catch solitary individuals away from the nest.