Did You Know That Wasps Have Families?

Among the many insect families, the most well-known is the family Vespidae, which contains social wasps. These species build nests in trees, shrubs, and under eaves. There are hundreds of thousands of known species. Some Vespidae wereps are parasitoidal, while others are eusocial.

Other wasps build underground nests, while others build supraterrestrial nests. These nests are not necessarily soil cavities, but are constructed of chewed up material. Some wasps are kleptoparasites, laying eggs in the nests of other wasps.

Solitary wasps include species that oviposit on prey, while others parasitize almost every pest insect. These wasps are usually black and yellow in color, and have a “chewing-lapping” mouthpart. The mouthparts are about four times as long as they are wide. The eggs are milky white, and are narrower at the posterior end. The queens and workers of these species can live up to a year. They can lay 25,000 to 30,000 eggs in a single colony.

There are several subgenuses of Vespula, and most of these species build nests underground. However, some Vespula species build aerial nests in shrubs and trees.

Dolichovespula wasps are another type of wasp that builds a supraterrestrial nest on the ground. Other members of this subgenus construct a supraterrestrial nest on the leaf litter, as well. They also show an abrupt change from worker to queen cell construction.

Polistes apachus is a large, pugnacious wasp that is found in a variety of habitats, including savannas, grassland, and mesquite forests. It has an abdomen with two transverse yellow stripes. The anterior yellow stripe is narrow and narrowly borders the pronotum. The posterior yellow stripe is broad and wide.

Continue reading:

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