Wasps vs Large White

[Alanp]

Large Whites have been particularly active laying eggs in our cabbage patch but this year the patch has been patrolled day after day by wasps who actively chase/harass the butterflies. I haven't seen the wasps near the eggs but they definitely do approach the adult butterflies.
Has anyone else witnessed this behaviour?

P.S. If I knew how to add photos I would add a few not very good quality ones of wasps near to butterflies.

[Vince Massimo]

Hi Alan,

I have not seen wasps harassing adult butterflies, but have seen them taking larvae from the food plant, particularly Large White caterpillars. I have found that Small White caterpillars tend to survive predation form wasps more successfully, probably because they are solitary and better camouflaged. There are also lots of smaller parasitic wasps about which are seeking to lay their eggs into those of the butterfly or its larvae.

For guidance on how to add images to a post, check this link.
http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/howtovideos.php and go to "How to post on the forums".
The process has changes slightly since the video was produced, so you need to click on "Attachments" and then "Add files".

Vince

[bugboy]

I've seen a Hornet, our largest wasp, take a Gatekeeper in mid air and the other week I watched one trying to catch Skippers (it settled for a honeybee in the end) but I've never witnessed the smaller Vespula hunting larger butterflies.

[NickMorgan]

I have seen wasps attempting to land on Peacocks and Green-veined Whites in the past. I have never been clear about what they were trying to achieve. The butterflies have always been feeding and it looks as though the wasps have deliberately flown at the butterfly as if they saw it as prey. However, I am really not sure what they were trying to achieve, or why they were attracted to the butterflies.

[Neil Hulme]

Hi Alan

Wasps do sometimes make opportunistic kills of even large adult butterflies, usually when they are at their most vulnerable, either while feeding or egg-laying.

In 2007 I watched a wasp kill and devour a (released) female Black-veined White at Stockbridge Down, while she was part-way through laying an egg batch.

BWs, Neil

[Alanp]

Thank you all for those interesting and helpful contributions. I think perhaps vulnerability while laying eggs might be an important factor.

I'm not sure if these quite poor photos (although it isn't easy to capture butterflies and wasps interacting in flight) contribute much to the discussion but here goes

[Padfield]

I was videoing false ilex hairstreak in 2004 when a wasp zoomed in and flew off with the butterfly. This is a frame from the video:



Roger G will remember the day.

Guy

[millerd]

I have watched a wasp attack a Peacock butterfly: the wasp first stung the butterfly then proceded to dismember it, cutting off the wings and head. It appeared quite brutal, and to no real purpose as the wasp then did nothing with the corpse and just flew off.

Dave

[Alanp]

Thanks for the really interesting photo. Here are a couple of photos I took in 2016 of a wasp feeding on a larva (unidentified).