For example, most spider wasps paralyse arachnid prey using a venomous sting. Social species capture insects, chop them up and carry parts back to the nest. This is having a huge ecosystem impact and the native birds have been declining.' What do wasps eat?Īdult wasps don't eat the prey they kill - they feed it to their young. 'Where common and German wasps have been accidentally introduced to New Zealand, they've been stripping caterpillars out of forests. But their voracious appetites can cause problems if a species spreads or is introduced to new areas and their numbers aren't kept under control, such as in New Zealand, where there are no native social wasps. Wasps are hugely beneficial to their native ecosystems due to the sheer amount of insects they capture. Dr Gavin Broad, a wasp expert at the Museum, says, 'Wasps are generally apex predators - so if they're not doing well, it indicates that there is something wrong with the world.'
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