Sunday, April 23, 2006
I gave the wasps another grasshopper. This time, I used the forceps to place the grasshopper directly on the nest surface. The wasps reacted violently; they latched on and stung the grasshopper continuously. Being quite heavy, it dropped off the nest, with one wasp still latched on to it. This wasp continued to bite and sting, even though it was being dragged around the enclosure by the much stronger grasshopper. The wasp bit one of the grasshopper's antennae, plunging her sting repeatedly into the abdomen all the while. Finally, the grasshopper weakened and toppled over. A result of the stinging? The wasp bit off a leg and flew back to the nest. I then picked it up with the forceps and slowly offered it to the other wasps on the nest. This time, the combined efforts of the other wasps enabled them to dismember it without dropping it.
