Invertebrates
Bee-wolf
Philanthus triangulum · also called European beewolf
On a sandy cliff in southern England, a bee-wolf drops from the air onto a honeybee at a flower, stings it, and flies off with its victim clasped beneath her.
Overview
The bee-wolf, Philanthus triangulum, is a yellow-and-black digger wasp of sandy heaths, cliffs, and dunes across Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia. Its hunting of honeybees and its northward spread make it one of the most dramatic wasps of the British coast.
A wasp that feeds its young on bees
Each bee-wolf larva is fed on several paralysed honeybees, which stay fresh in the nest chamber until the larva eats them.
Status
Not Evaluated, and increasing in northern Europe.
Bee-wolf: common questions
What does the bee-wolf eat?
The adults feed on nectar, but the larvae are fed on honeybees, which the female catches on flowers and paralyses with her sting.
Is the bee-wolf dangerous to people?
No, it is not aggressive towards people and rarely stings.
Where does it nest?
It digs a burrow in sandy soil, with several side cells, each stocked with a few honeybees and an egg.
Where is the bee-wolf found?
It lives on sandy heaths, cliffs, and dunes across Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia, and is increasing in southern England.