All about wasps: description of the insect, close-up photo, internal structure

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Insects
Wasp (description, species, where they live, what they eat)

A wasp is an insect from the order Hymenoptera, which does not have an exact scientific definition.
Wasps are not related to bees or ants. Wasps can be of completely different sizes - from 1.5 cm to 10 cm. The wasp has 4 wings, a barrel-shaped body, which is covered with fibers. The structure of the eyes is very complex; they allow her to see in opposite directions.

The wasp's thin antennae are multifunctional. They are designed for smell and touch, also detect air vibrations and help wasps build nests.

Classification

There are many types of wasps, but they are all divided into solitary and social. The main difference is that social ones build nests and live in families, while solitary ones do not. Also, all solitary wasps are capable of reproducing, while in social wasps only the queen and males can reproduce.

Where are they distributed?

Wasps can be found all over the world. They live in South America, Russia, Australia, Canada, Europe, North Africa.

Varieties

In addition to the general classification, there are the following types of bees:

road;
real;
hornets;
glitter wasps;
Typhia;
floral;
sandy, or burrowing;
German wasps;
paper;
scolias;
burrowing sphecids.

What do wasps eat?

Their diet depends on the variety, so it is very varied. For example, herbivores eat fruit juice, nectar, and pollen. And predator wasps can feed on other insects. The poison helps them in this; it paralyzes the victim.

How do they reproduce?

The uterus is responsible for reproduction. In the spring she begins to build a nest. The queen builds one small cell, which is then enlarged into a large nest by worker bees. The queen lays up to 2000 eggs; there are special cells for this. Next, the larvae hatch, then pupae are formed, and adult insects emerge from the pupae. Only worker wasps are responsible for the offspring. The role of the uterus is procreation.

Interesting Facts

The round nests belong to paper wasps. They are called that because they use paper for construction.
Wasps are neither beneficial nor harmful. They sting painfully, are not honey-bearing, but kill insect pests.
It is quite simple to distinguish a wasp: the body is clearly divided into 3 segments, and they also have a “waist”.
Wasps do not live in the Arctic, Sahara, or Arabian Peninsula.

A wasp differs from a bee not only in appearance, but also in its sting. In the wasp it has smaller serrations. Also, the wasp does not die, but can use its sting several more times.

Appearance and anatomy of a wasp

You can find out what this insect looks like from a biology textbook. Since it is impossible to tell everything about wasps in one article, we should focus on the most common species - the common wasp. These winged insects differ from their relatives in their striped colors.

The average body length of the insect is 2-3.5 cm. On the yellow-black back there are four wings, with a pair of hind wings linked to a pair of front wings, which is why it visually seems that there are only two wings.

Interestingly, the size of the wasp depends on the gender of the insect. Females are considered larger, and can reach 5.5 cm in length. Such individuals are found in warm countries with a tropical climate.

The system of visual organs in wasps is no less curious. They have not two, but five eyes, which allows them to get maximum visibility of their surroundings.

In addition to the visual system, multifunctional antennae are of great importance for the life of insects. They play the role of a kind of antennas, being at the same time organs of touch, smell, taste buds and a measuring device.

Population extinctions

But, despite the fact that wasps have enough enemies in the wild, the main enemy of wasp populations is that suitable conditions for their habitat are decreasing every year. Immense deforestation, plowing of fields, all this leads to a reduction in species in a certain area.

Some countries even take specialized measures that are aimed at protecting some representatives of these amazing insects.

Wasps

Apocrita
Hymenoptera, which does not have a strictly scientific definition . In principle, these are all stinging stalked bellies that are not related to bees and ants [1].

Lifestyle and habitat

Wasps are found in any area. These insects perhaps do not adapt to cold, unsuitable areas for existence. They always live close to humans, thereby providing themselves with constant food. Wide populations of wasps are present in almost all countries of Eurasia, North Africa, Australia, Mexico and Argentina. They are not found except in the Arctic and Antarctica, as well as in deserts.

Representatives of different species tend to build a social hierarchical system. Most wasps live in groups. Insects form close-knit colonies and conduct joint life activities. In some aspen families there are 15-20 thousand individuals. Each colony has a social structure that involves stratification into classes and the definition of responsibilities.

In addition to social ones, there are solitary individuals that do not depend on others and do not have a nest or swarm. These are predatory insects that catch beetles and spiders larger than themselves. They sting victims with their sting and release poison, after which they are paralyzed.

The predominant percentage of colony members are working wasps. They search for food for themselves and the larvae, and protect the nest from attack by other insects. Moreover, such individuals are quite aggressive. If they are slightly disturbed, they will immediately attack, and if they sense a real threat to their home, the entire swarm will fly out.

What happens if you open a wasp's nest?

Wasps are unique insects. They belong to the order Hymenoptera. This order also includes bees, bumblebees, ants, sawflies and riders. Ants and bees are descendants of ancient wasps. Over the centuries, flower nectar became their food, and the ants lost their wings. Therefore, a wasp on a flower is a fairly common occurrence.

These insects live both alone and in families. This is an insect that is studied by many specialists. They divide these flying creatures into several groups. The flower wasp stands out from them. This is an insect that lives alone. Quite a few individuals belong to the social group. First of all, this is a village wasp. Together with it we can name representatives of paper Hymenoptera. They are the ones most often encountered by summer residents in Russia.

Reproduction and lifespan

In social individuals, the eggs are laid by the female. Fertilization occurs once in the autumn. A wasp can lay several hundred eggs per day, from which larvae will subsequently hatch and turn into pupae. The last stage of the reproduction cycle is the transition to the adult stage.

After mating, the female begins building a home. She brings insects paralyzed by poison to the nest, and then lays eggs on their abdomen. After this, the female seals the nest for the winter, during which the offspring eats the supplies prepared by the mother. Once the larvae develop into adult wasps and are able to leave the nest on their own, they fly away.

Interesting! Wasps easily find their homes even after flying long distances. But if you move the nest in the absence of insects, they will not be able to find it.

The life expectancy of males and females is different. The first live on average for a couple of weeks. The male dies after mating. Queen wasps live for several months, and in warm countries - for years. They are responsible for choosing a nest site and raising offspring. With the onset of frost, mature wasps die, and young individuals overwinter in the wood.

Laying eggs

In the summer, the working group of the aspen colony begins to attach additional honeycombs to the nests so that the queen can lay eggs there. From this moment exactly three weeks will pass, and new viable individuals will be born. Throughout the summer, the queen lays eggs several times. On average, she produces more than a thousand such embryos throughout her life.

Solitary wasps themselves look for a suitable place for nesting and breeding. The insect prepares a cell and places an egg in it. Moreover, each future wasp requires a separate chamber. The larva emerges from the egg after two days.

Larval development

In appearance, they resemble thick worms or white flower slugs. The female continues to care for her young. Wasps feed their offspring with small balls of chewed insects. The larvae also produce sticky mucus, which is eaten by the female. Thus, a mutual exchange of food occurs.

Larvae require a lot of protein to develop. Two weeks later, the future wasp seals the entrance to the chamber with a cocoon. The pupal stage lasts 6-7 days, after which the formation of the insect ends. Adult individuals, having left the cell, occupy the appropriate place in the hierarchy and carry out their work.

The role of the queen in the wasp colony

The main feature that allows you to distinguish the queen from other female wasps is its larger size. If most individuals of the common wasp do not reach 2 cm, then the queen of the swarm grows up to 20-25 mm. Apart from size, it is difficult to identify any specific features.

In some families, not only the queen, but also worker wasps lay eggs to replenish the colony. Females reproduce but do not claim the role of queen. At the same time, work in the nest must be carried out uninterruptedly, so if the queen dies, ordinary wasps can easily replace her.

This family of insects is called Polista. New individuals appear in it throughout the warm season.

Lifespan

Various representatives of the wasp family can live from a couple of months to several years. Species and external natural factors influence how long wasps live. Wasps are conventionally divided into solitary and social; their life spans are different.

Social ones live in a strict hierarchical system, like bees. Singles lead an isolated existence.

Uterus

The long-lived female among social wasps of all species lives for several years. All summer, the queen actively replenishes the population of the nest, continuously laying eggs. Towards the end of August, new, large cells for special offspring appear in the nest. From these cells young females and males hatch.

Nutrition

The diet of these insects is quite varied. Adult wasps prefer natural sweets - fruit pulp, berries, juices. The most favorite wasp products are raspberries, grapes, melon, watermelon, and strawberries. Mature individuals at a distance of several tens of meters hear the smells of overripe or fermented fruits, which is why there are so many of them in dachas, vegetable gardens, and markets. Wasps also love honey, jam, sweets and other sweets.

Despite this, some representatives of aspens prefer food of animal origin. First of all, the predators are the larvae, which during their maturation period eat insects that are several times larger than their own size.

What do they eat in summer

The diet and feeding habits of larvae and adults differ significantly. Thinking about what wasps eat, you might think that they are omnivores, but this is a mistaken opinion. There are quite a lot of things that wasps eat and will never touch. Moreover, they are quite picky when it comes to nutrition.

The most constant food for insects is fruit and berry juice, which ripens during the period of their activity. Such nutrition is the main source of energy. In addition, wasps love the insides of berries and are able to leave behind only the skin. This applies to plums, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and grapes.

Representatives’ favorite products are also:

Sugar;

Honey products;

Fruit varieties of jam;

Sweet syrups.

In turn, the larvae feed exclusively on protein tissues, that is, on other insects. Suitable for feeding and development of future offspring:

Slug;

Butterfly;

Spider;

Caterpillar;

Cockroach;

Bedbugs and other insects.

Important! If there are hives with bee families nearby, there is a danger of the striped workers being destroyed by predators.

The benefits and harms of insects

The wasp itself is not at all dangerous to humans, however, as a result of an attack by a female, there is a risk of developing an allergic reaction.

A wasp sting is manifested by the following unpleasant symptoms:

swelling;
redness and inflammation of the skin;
pain;
itching;
slight malaise;
slight increase in body temperature.

If a wasp stings, urticaria may occur, and in difficult cases, Quincke's edema develops at lightning speed and anaphylactic shock occurs.

If a wasp stung for the first time, and everything ended well, this does not guarantee that a subsequent insect bite will pass without consequences. Wasp venom can accumulate in the body and cause sensitization. What to do if bitten by a wasp - first aid for a wasp sting.

These insects bring not only harm, but also benefit. They actively fight pests in greenhouses, vegetable gardens, and orchards. Some biologists argue that many people are unaware of the existence of certain species of spiders and beetles thanks to predators colored with black and yellow stripes.

In addition, today scientists continue to actively research the properties of wasp venom against cancer cells. It's all about the special structure of the protein it contains, supposedly this particular substance allows you to destroy malignant cells.

The danger of wintering

During hibernation, wasps face many dangers. One of the main ones is animals and birds. In the spring, bears destroy stumps and old hollows in search of food. This happens before the insects wake up en masse. Birds also peck at wasps that have settled in hollows or forest floors of dry leaves.

Another danger is unstable weather conditions. With sudden changes in temperature from frost to thaw, the chemical composition of cells changes. During the next cold snap, the mechanism that prevents the crystallization of the liquid does not work, and the wasps die. Abnormally low temperatures are no less dangerous. In very severe frosts, the bodies of insects completely crystallize, causing them to die.

The life cycle of wasps is a complex and interesting process. What these insects do is an integral part of the biome. Death and rebirth are repeated endlessly so that the wasp population does not disappear on our planet.

How to determine the sex of a wasp?

Finding out the gender of this insect is easy. The description of female wasps notes the massiveness of their body in comparison with males. Females reach 2 cm in length, and the dimensions of drones rarely exceed 15 mm. In addition, on the front part of the body between the legs of the wasps there is a pattern resembling a two-pronged crown. Males have a different coloration, consisting of three teeth.

In males, the head appears disproportionately large in relation to the size of the body. Female wasps have smaller heads and shorter antennae. It is also worth remembering that males do not have a stinger.

The females do all the work in the swarm. Young males are drones. Their task is to fertilize the uterus and fertile females.

Certain species of wasps are classified as endangered and listed in the Red Book. Human activity has a negative impact on the insect population. Some specifically destroy pests using pesticides. Wasps do not live in areas where plants are treated with pesticides.

Eyes

The eyes are complex in structure and are always well developed. Between them there are three small eyes, which are arranged in the form of a triangle. But science knows species that are born completely blind or without the last small eyes.

The eyes are positioned so that the insect can see 180 degrees around itself. This structure is also called faceted. It perceives ultraviolet rays, the direction of polarization of light. Insects distinguish small details very poorly, but they have an excellent ability to see light blinking up to 300 Hz. For comparison, the human eye only perceives 50 Hz.

Compound eyes are motionless. They are located in recesses called capsules. They are surrounded by a ring of cuticle, holding them on the head. The eyes are located far from each other, on the sides of the head. But, thanks to three additional organs of vision, the insect sees a mosaic that forms a whole picture. Focusing, although not the same as that of a person, is sufficient to fix everything that is on the trajectory of movement. Three small additional eyes are very similar in structure to humans. There's even a pupil.

Housing preferences

The wood wasp builds its nests in a remote location. Most often they become hollow. Sometimes a forest wasp nest can be found in a fallen tree in the forest or in a small cave on the ground.

Wood wasps can settle anywhere near a person - even in a mailbox, on loggias and balconies, under roofs and in attics. Wood wasp nests are typically gray in color and usually contain three tiers. Wasp nest material is collected from any unpainted wooden surfaces. Sometimes the pulp comes from scraps of paper.

Research has been conducted on the color preferences of the wood wasp. They were offered toilet paper dyed in different colors as a source of cellulose. Of the more than ten flowers, wasps more often tore off and chewed pieces of colorless, gray paper, but about 20% preferred red paper. As a result, the nest turned out, as usual, gray, but with numerous red “freckles”. The insects ignored paper of other colors.

Basin

The insect has a thin “waist” between its belly and chest. In this way they fold the body almost in half.

They use this feature exclusively in hunting. They also use a sting to get food. This part of the body structure is the ovipositor. It is located at the end of the abdomen. Through it, poison is released, which is fatal to small victims and painful to humans. But wasps can also use their jaws in hunting.

Life day by day

Road wasps are tireless workers, constantly moving among plants or on the ground. The goal of endless movements is to find the spider

, often of a certain type. Even a strong web cannot stop them - pompils move along it no worse than the creators themselves. Therefore, for the most part, spiders try to avoid a fight with a deadly enemy, but not everyone succeeds.

When attacking its prey, the wasp circles in a breathtaking dance. The first paralyzing blow of the sting disarms the spider, since it falls directly on the area of its powerful jaws. The second is applied to the chest and immobilizes the body and limbs. Then the pompila drags the spider into a pre-prepared hole. If there is no such thing ready, then the insect digs it out on its own. After which it grabs the spider with its jaws and drags it along the ground, while the wasp has to periodically rise into the air without a heavy burden in order to clarify the path. Having placed the spider in the hole, the pompila introduces an egg into it, falls asleep and disguises the entrance. After a few days, a larva emerges from the egg and begins to eat the motionless prey alive.