Wasps
Wasps are flying insects from the order Hymenoptera, which includes bees and ants. Most common wasps belong to the family Vespidae and are feared for their stings. Wasps fill a variety of ecological roles including pollinators, predators, prey, parasites and parasitoids, which lay their eggs inside or on the bodies of other insects. Their larvae then grow inside the host, slowly killing them. A few species cash in on the fear kindled by wasps, mimicking their appearance to discourage predators.
What's the most painful insect sting?
Meet the insect with the most painful sting in the world
Wasp ‘bodyguards’ could be used as biological pesticide
Older varieties of maize plant can send out a chemical signal to recruit parasitic wasps when 'stemborer' wasps lay their eggs on its leaves.
Idris Elba 'honoured' to have new species of broccoli parasite named after him
The insect was detected in Guanajuato, Mexico, where it was found to parasitise the eggs of an invasive stink bug.
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What’s the best way to get wasps to go away?
Tell those little black and yellow picnic menaces to buzz off and enjoy a sarnie outside in peace with a few handy tips.
Paper wasps capable of logical reasoning
Paper wasps seem to be able to grasp surprisingly complex logic, given their minuscule brains.
Why do wasp and bee stings hurt so much?
There's always a sting in the tail.
Paper wasps punish rivals with poker faces
Wasps with a mismatch between fighting ability and facial patterns are treated more aggressively by other wasps.
Nine wasp facts that'll get you buzzing about them
Wasps and hornets might have you swatting the air and looking for the best way to kill these BBQ blighters, but Adam Hart says that these striped insects are horribly misunderstood…
Is it true there are dead wasps in figs?
Those crunchy bits in figs - wasps or seeds? The answer is probably not as obvious as you first thought...
Do any wasps make honey?
The way these aggressive insects feed their young is not nearly as sweet as that of bees.