Wasps
WouterDuring the Jurassic period, wasps first appeared in the fossil record. They then diversified into many superfamilies by the Cretaceous period. Today, wasps are found in every region of the world except the polar regions. These insects are important in many ecosystems.
Most wasps are parasitoids, meaning that they feed on insect hosts. They have a specialized ovipositor that is used to lay eggs. The first offspring are usually females. Their larvae feed on the host’s secretions. They also develop a sting that helps them defend their nest.
Wasps are also social insects. They have a queen that builds a nest from scratch each spring. Her workers expand the nest and lay eggs. The queen then hibernates in a warm spot in the winter. In most colonies, there is only one queen. She raises a starter brood of worker females. This type of colony is considered an irritating pest.
In some species of parasitic wasps, the ovipositor is modified for stinging. They sting only females. The stings of these species are less painful than the stings of other wasp species.
Wasps are members of the order Hymenoptera. They have 12 or 13 segment antennae. The thorax of the female is attached to the abdomen by a narrow stalk. They are winged, although most of them are solitary. They have a biteable mouthpart and are often found in meadows and forests.
Several hundred thousand species of wasps have been described. The largest social wasp is the Asian giant hornet, which reaches five centimetres in length. They build nests in the ground or in the air. They are common in the eastern United States. They are known as cicada killers, because they mainly prey on cicadas.
