Predatory behaviour in the ant-like wasp Methocha stygia (Say) (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae)

An examination of prey-orienting behaviour of Methocha stygia has demonstrated that adult females regularly transport prey (Cicindela larvae) when they are removed from their burrows. On a single occasion a wasp was also observed to utilize a naturally occurring depression in the soil as a nest site, instead of depending on the prey's own burrow. This flexibility in response might be a carryover of the behaviour that surely existed in the ancestors of the methochine wasps, insects which were close to if not identical with the ancestors of the ants. When Methocha females were crowded together with prey in the laboratory, frequent avoidance and aggressive behaviours were noted, but no sign of any form of co-operation.