Where Does Wasps Come From?
WouterSeveral species of social wasps will mate once a year. The fertilized females are called queens. The queen lays eggs in a cell-like pod.
The queen is responsible for plant pollination, but she also takes on the role of feeding the larvae. She feeds them by collecting insects and bringing them back to the nest. In spring, she also uses nectar from flowers to feed her workers.
Female wasps come in many varieties, from the small, solitary paper wasp to the large, social Asian giant hornet. They are also useful in crop agriculture, as pest controllers. A few species, such as the cuckoo wasp, can be a kleptoparasite.
Female wasps have a distinctive stinger and a diploid (2n) number of chromosomes. Their mouthparts are similar to those of a honey bee, but they are also useful for catching prey. They also have mandibles at the front of their heads, similar to crab claws. These are also used to strip wood for nest construction.
A queen wasp can have up to a thousand workers. These workers collect food for the larvae and take care of other tasks. They also care for additional eggs.
The smallest wasp nests are golf ball-sized, and the largest can be football-sized. They also build nests in just about any shape. Depending on the species, they are most active in early summer and early autumn. They may enter houses and attics, or enter through cracks in the roofline or siding.
