Hello, I am not a beekeeper, but I observed a strange (disturbing) bee behavior on my camping trip in West Virginia and wanted to get some help, and sorry for cross-posting.
First, a bee was repeatedly stinging a green caterpillar. This appeared to attract at least 4 other bees who landed on the caterpillar. Their bodies seemed to be moving similar to how they move when collecting nectar from a flower. Shortly after, the caterpillar was cut in half and it seemed like the bees were consuming its interior juices.
At first, I thought they were simply defending an area that the caterpillar tresspassed. However, soon after, I saw the same thing happen to the same type of green caterpillar that was much larger in size. The caterpillar was so large that one bee was actually inside its carcass and appeared to be drinking its juice along with 4 other bees that were eating the caterpillar from the outside.
Is this normal bee behavior: bees coordinating an attack on a caterpillar and then eating it?
I am sure these were not wasps. They were bees... :?