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Field observation of predation on paper wasp nests by introduced terrestrial slugs

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Abstract

Nest predation is an important factor in the colony mortality of paper wasps. Although a variety of animals are known to prey on paper wasp nests, colony failure of unknown cause often occurs in the field, and the existence of still-unknown predators is possible. Here, I report predation on nests of paper wasps, Polistes chinensis antennalis, by introduced terrestrial slugs, Lehmannia valentiana. The slugs were found on the wasps’ nests despite the presence of the owners on the nests and ate eggs, larvae, and presumably cell walls of the nests. This is the first report of predation on paper wasp nests by slugs.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by the Global COE Program (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan; Center of excellence for Asian conservation ecology as a basis of human-nature mutualism).

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  1. Laboratory of Ecological Science, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-10-1, Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan

    S. Furuichi

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  1. S. Furuichi
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Correspondence to S. Furuichi.

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Furuichi, S. Field observation of predation on paper wasp nests by introduced terrestrial slugs. Insect. Soc. 61, 95–96 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-013-0329-z

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