黃蜂和螞蟻常常為食物而競爭，一項最新研究發(fā)現(xiàn)蜂蟻大戰(zhàn)中的一個有趣現(xiàn)象：黃蜂會依仗體大且會飛的優(yōu)勢,，將螞蟻抓取到空中并遠遠地拋離食物,。這是一種前所未知的動物干涉行為,。
新一期英國《生物學通訊》雜志刊登報告說,，新西蘭維多利亞大學的研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，當?shù)氐狞S蜂和螞蟻經(jīng)常為了食物而競爭,。當螞蟻成群結(jié)隊地爬上食物時,，氣急敗壞的黃蜂就會用強壯的上顎叼起食物上的螞蟻，飛起來將它拋到一邊,，然后再回去享受美食,。實驗顯示，食物上的螞蟻數(shù)量越多,，黃蜂的這種“空襲”行為越頻繁,，將螞蟻拋開的距離也越長。
研究人員說,，如果將螞蟻看作一個人,，那么它被拋開的距離大致相當于半個足球場的長度。實驗顯示,，黃蜂飛起再拋下螞蟻的高度并不高,，不會傷害螞蟻，但能起到一定的震懾效果,，許多被拋開的螞蟻落地后都顯得有些懵了,，不會再回到食物地點與黃蜂爭食,。
不過集團作戰(zhàn)的螞蟻總是前赴后繼地沖向食物，雖然黃蜂的體型比它們大200倍,，但是小螞蟻會采用噴酸性物質(zhì)或撕咬等手段與之爭斗,，為自己爭到部分食物。
研究人員說,，黃蜂將爭食的螞蟻拋開的這種行為非常有趣,，是一種前所未知的動物干涉行為。黃蜂可以借助這種行為在與螞蟻的競爭中獲得更多食物,，這再次說明在自然界的競爭中體型差距的重要性,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原文出處：
Biol. Lett. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2011.0165
A novel interference behaviour: invasive wasps remove ants from resources and drop them from a height
Julien Grangier* and Philip J. Lester
Abstract
This study reports a novel form of interference behaviour between the invasive wasp Vespula vulgaris and the New Zealand native ant Prolasius advenus. By videotaping interactions at bait stations, we found that wasps commonly remove ant competitors from food resources by picking up the workers in their mandibles, flying backward and dropping them unharmed some distance from the food. Both the frequency and the efficiency of the wasp behaviour significantly increased with the abundance of ant competitors. Ant removals were the most common interference events initiated by wasps when ants were numerous, while intraspecific conflicts among wasps were prominent when few ants were present. The ‘ant-dropping’ behaviour emphasizes how asymmetry in body sizes between competitors can lead to a pronounced form of interference, related to asymmetric locomotion modes.
