Why Do Wasps Like Humans?
WouterDespite being one of the least loved insects in the world, wasps have an important role to play in the environment. Their venom contains powerful pain-causing agents that are more suitable for paralyzing insect prey than for humans. These pain-causing agents can lead to anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction.
Wasps have a complex social structure. Many queens form a colony together, and each queen has a strict social hierarchy. These queens mate with males from other colonies to form the reproductive future of the colony. They then lay eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae that feed on sugary liquid and chopped insects.
The social structure is dependent on each individual knowing their status in the colony. Some wasp species are aggressive and kill other pest species. Others are docile and sting only when they feel threatened.
Depending on the species, wasps are often not very defensive of their nests. They are also not very aggressive when it comes to stinging humans. They will often not sting you if you get too close to their nests, but they will sting if you brush against them.
A citizen science project in Gloucester, UK is looking for members of the public to help with an experiment to understand why wasps sting. The study is a clever variation on human facial recognition methods.
Some species of wasps have facial markings similar to human faces. These facial markings help the wasps differentiate themselves from other species. Scientists are now investigating how this process works. It may be as simple as using specialized areas of the brain. The results of the study will help to explain why some insects have complex social structures.
