Nest predation by <Vespa tropica> (Linnaeus, 1758): observational insights into polistine wasp defense and hornet feeding behavior

Vespa tropica (Linnaeus, 1758) is a known predator of polistine wasps, actively hunting them to provision its larvae. This study reports two separate instances of Vespa tropica Greater Banded Hornet predation on the nests of two polistine wasp species, the Arabian Paper Wasp Polistes (Gyrostoma) wattii Cameron, 1900 and Ropalidia brevita Das & Gupta, 1989, in Uttarakhand, India. While the predatory behavior of Vespa tropica on different species of Polistes and Ropalidia has been well-documented in previous studies, this is the first photographic record of nest predation attempts on Polistes wattii and Ropalidia brevita. Additionally, the study documents the first known successful defensive counterattack by a prey species Polistes wattii, providing novel insight into the defensive capabilities of prey species against hornet predation.