At 07:57 AM 8/20/96 -0700, you wrote:
>
.
> My understanding of this behavior is that the wasps have lost
> their power to digest their food because of their discontinuation
> of the production of a necessary enzyme, and are, consequently,
> ravenous and in very bad temper while they starve to death..
>
> Anyone know if that's an accurate assessment?
>
That doesn't sound quite right, Tom. If they starved to death, each year
wouldn't produce more of them at earlier dates. I think they're just nasty.

Last summer my dog was snapping at one that was bugging her. I was standing
several feet away (well out of range of the skirmish) when she finally
succeeded in discouraging it. The damn wasp flew straight at me. I ducked
and ran, it followed, and finally managed to land on my back. It stung me
and took off. I couldn't rack that one up to accidental!

Peggi



Peggi Rodgers
Oregon Research Institute
Eugene, OR
peggir at ori.org
prodgers at efn.org
"A bird does not sing because it has an
answer, It sings because it has a song"