Strike Fast, Strike Hard: The Red-Throated Caracara Exploits Absconding Behavior of Social Wasps during Nest Predation

Abstract

Red-throated Caracaras Ibycter americanus (Falconidae) are specialist predators of social wasps in the Neotropics. It had been proposed that these caracaras possess chemical repellents that allow them to take the brood of wasp nests without being attacked by worker wasps. To determine how caracaras exploit nests of social wasps and whether chemical repellents facilitate predation, we: (1) video recorded the birds attacking wasp nests; (2) analyzed surface extracts of the birds' faces, feet, and feathers for potential chemical repellents; and (3) inflicted mechanical damage on wasp nests to determine the defensive behavior of wasps in response to varying levels of disturbance. During caracara predation events, two species of large-bodied wasps mounted stinging attacks on caracaras, whereas three smaller-bodied wasp species did not. The “hit-and-run” predation tactic of caracaras when they attacked nests of large and aggressive wasps reduced the risk of getting stung. Our data reveal that the predation strategy of caracaras is based on mechanical disturbance of, and damage to, target wasp nests. Caracara attacks and severe experimental disturbance of nests invariably caused wasps to abscond (abandon their nests). Two compounds in caracara foot extracts [sulcatone and iridodial] elicited electrophysiological responses from wasp antennae, and were also present in defensive secretions of sympatric arboreal-nesting Azteca ants. These compounds appear not to be wasp repellents but to be acquired coincidentally by caracaras when they perch on trees inhabited with Azteca ants. We conclude that caracara predation success does not depend on wasp repellents but relies on the absconding response that is typical of swarm-founding polistine wasps. Our study highlights the potential importance of vertebrate predators in the ecology and evolution of social wasps.

Ant-like Traits in Wingless Parasitoids Repel Attack from Wolf Spiders

“…Other studies with ants and other organisms report similar findings. McCann et al ( 2013 ) found that red-throated caracaras, specialist predators of social wasps, incidentally acquire sulcatone on their talons when perching on trees inhabited by Azteca ants that produce this compound. The odor emanating from their talons is then detected by ground-nesting wasps when the caracaras perch next to the nest and leads to a nest absconding response in these wasps, enhancing caracara predation.…”

The Feather Structure of Oriental Honey Buzzards (Pernis ptilorhynchus) and Other Hawk Species in Relation to Their Foraging Behavior

“…It is therefore likely that the filamentous substance or some chemical emitted from the substance made the honey bees inactive (Higuchi et al, unpublished data). Although Thiollay (1992) proposed that red-throated caracaras emitted a chemical defense against wasps, McCann et al (2013) discovered that this species actually uses a more 'hit-and-run' predation tactic, based on mechanical disturbance. Chemical defenses are, however, used by other avian species: three species in the genus Pitohui have high concentrations of the steroidal alkaloid homobatrachotoxin in their feathers and skin (Dunbachar et al, 1992); the green woodhoopoe Phoeniculus purpureus also secretes volatile chemicals from its uropygial gland and the noxious odours are thought to provide defense against predators (Burger et al, 2004).…”

When food fights back: Cebid primate strategies of larval paper wasp predation and the high‐energy yield of high‐risk foraging

“…exp). However, as a response to great stress or nest destruction (McCann et al, 2013), Polybia species often adopt a nest‐desertion strategy (“the absconding swarm”: Hunt, 2007), that allows the colony to return, rebuild, and continue (Detoni et al, 2021; Sazima, 2014; Sonnentag & Jeanne, 2009). Accordingly, we categorized P. quadricincta nests as low‐risk.…”