Predation of Ananteris spp. by ants and a social wasp in Panama

 

Scorpions are fierce predators that catch and eat many animal groups, but scorpions them self are also on the menu of other predators. In a recent article, Roberto Miranda and co-workers report about a social wasp and ants in Panama that seem to be a predator on Ananteris scorpions.

Abstract:
Two events of predation on Ananteris spp. were observed in the Parque Nacional Darién, Darién Province, Panama. The first case involved the social wasp Agelaia centralis (Cameron, 1907) (Vespidae); the second one, a ponerine ant Leptogenys cf. cuneata Lattke, 2011 (Formicidae). This is the first time that predation by a social wasp on a scorpion is observed. They also represent the first recorded predators for Panamanian Ananteris species.

Reference:
Miranda RJ, de Armas lF, Cambra RA. Predation of Ananteris spp. (Scorpiones: Buthidae) by ants and a social wasp (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Vespidae) in Panama, Central America. Euscorpius. 2021(329):1-4. [Open Access]