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Archive for the ‘Wasps’ Category

In America Wasp Species Are More Abundant And Diverse Than Many People Realize

Wasps may be the most abundant insect species on the planet. Researchers are currently considering having beetles replaced with wasps as the most species-rich type of insect in existence. Wasps belong to the hymenopteran family, which also includes other social insects, such as bees and ants. At the moment, researchers have managed to document more than one hundred and fifty thousand hymenoptera species in the world. Although wasps belong to the hymenoptera genus, it is not always clear which insects are truly wasps and which are not. This confusion is due to the tremendous degree of diversity among wasp species. For example, researchers are discovering more species of parasitoid wasps in the wild. Parasitoid wasps alone are considered to be the most diverse group of insects by many entomologists. New parasitoid wasp species are discovered frequently. Not long ago, two hundred new parasitic wasp species were discovered in Costa Rica during one single expedition.

In the United States, wasp species are not as well represented as they are in many other countries, especially Asian countries. However, there exists three hundred wasp species just within the relatively small state of New Jersey. Most of these wasps are solitary and not social. Solitary wasps dig burrows into the ground for shelter, and they capture and paralyze insects and spiders before planting their eggs on top or inside of their bodies. Solitary wasps plant their eggs within other arthropod’s bodies in order to provide their offspring with shelter during development and food for when they hatch. Solitary wasps almost never disturb humans.

Most people have become acquainted with social wasps, as these are the wasps that sting people and are known for being aggressive and territorial. Social wasps live within colonies that are dominated by a queen who is also the mother of every wasp in the colony. Unlike solitary wasps, social wasps feed primarily on plant matter, such as pollen and nectar. Not surprisingly, many of these wasps are important pollinators.

Did you know that solitary wasps even existed? Were you aware of the fact that some wasps are not social insects that live within colonies?

All Countries Want One Certain Insect Species For Biological Pest Control Purposes

When it comes to crop production, insect pests have always posed problems for farmers. Even large-scale industrial crops are sometimes at the mercy of one particularly nasty insect crop pest. Over the ages humanity has tried to devise and concoct a variety of different pest control methods. Everything from sticky traps to insecticides to literal lasers have been developed for pest control purposes. It is probable that every pest control method ever used possesses at least some benefit. However, according to experts from all over the world, biological control is quickly becoming the most reliable and effective form of insect pest control.

Biological control involves using one organism as a means of controlling the population size of another organism. For example, invasive vegetation, like certain rapidly growing weeds, sometimes require the artificial introduction of an insect pest species that survives by feeding on such noxious weeds. Biological insect pest control methods have been used for well over a century, and despite the widespread enthusiasm for biological control methods within the scientific community today, biological pest control does not have the best track record. For instance, several times throughout history, officials have introduced biological control agents into North America in the form of insects. On some occasions, these supposedly helpful insects had become pests themselves in North America. Now technology and scientific knowledge concerning insects has grown to the point where these problems are no longer much of a concern to scientists. In fact, countries all over the world are attempting to import and raise a particular type of insect for its value as a biological pest control agent. These insects are parasitic wasps, and they are being artificially bred in laboratories in all regions of the world for pest control purposes.

Australia keeps a reserve of parasitic wasps for use when they are necessary. Not long ago, South African researchers traveled to Australia solely to take parasitic wasp specimens back to Africa for a breeding program aimed at achieving insect pest control in crops. Due to an international agreement, Australia will soon produce an army of parasitic wasps for insect control purposes in Laos. Australian officials sometimes use parasitic wasps in order to prevent gall wasp damage to eucalyptus trees.

Do you believe that parasitic wasps could evolve to carry disease to crops, or even humans?

Parasitic Wasps Are Comprised Of More Species Than Any Other Insect Family

Which type of insect is the most species-rich in the entire insect kingdom? Some of the earliest insects to appear on earth continue to exist today. These super-ancient insect species are typically the most species-rich. These insects include termites and cockroaches. Praying mantises are also well known for being a species-rich insect. However, none of these insects can compare to beetles since beetles have long been recognized as the most species-rich group of insects. Now researchers are suspecting that their longheld assumptions concerning beetles may not be true. So far, scientists have documented three hundred and fifty thousand beetle species. This massive number dwarfs all other insect families. Although this is a large number, parasitic wasps are now being considered the most species-rich insect, and not beetles.

The belief that beetles comprised the greatest amount of species may have originated as a bias against other insects. For example, beetles are often picturesque and relatively large insects that make for great collectors items. Also the bodies of dead beetle specimens do not degrade as rapidly as other insect species. Once a beetle’s body dries out, it remains intact, as opposed to falling apart like most insect specimens eventually do. Even famed biologist Charles Darwin himself had a vast beetle collection that he happily showed off to guests. To put it simply, people have always been excited to learn that another beetle species had been discovered. But when it comes to tiny parasitic wasps, this excitement had always been hard to find.

Parasitoid wasps have not been studied as extensively as beetles since their tiny sizes make observation and capture difficult. One study found that the smallest parasitoid wasps on earth are no larger than two tenths of a millimeter in length. The very few studies on parasitoid wasps that exist reveal that they are more abundant in nature than previously thought. For example, in one desert habitat parasitoid wasps were up to three times more abundant than all beetle species. One mathematical model predicted that the total number of parasitoid wasp species far outnumbers beetle species. Although more research is needed on this topic, it is beginning to look like parasitoid wasps are the new kings of the insect kingdom.

Do you think that the lack of certainty about what defines a truly unique species makes the comparison between beetles and parasitoid wasps distorted?

An Elderly Wheelchair-Bound Woman Dies After Sustaining 150 Giant Hornet Stings

If you think that falling victim to a swarm of stinging insects is unlikely, then you should be made aware of a recent event that occured in Japan. Japan, and the whole of southeast Asia, is home to numerous exotic insect species. Many of these species are dangerous pests. For example, the aptly named giant hornet species is one of the most dangerous flying insects on the planet, and they are common in Japan. These hornets spread fear among Japanese citizens due to their extremely aggressive behavior. In fact, giant hornets have been known to take human lives. The latest death to occur as a result of a giant hornet attack occurred in Ozu, Ehime Prefecture. Tragically, an eighty seven year old wheelchair-bound woman died recently after sustaining hundreds of hornet stings.

Last September an elderly woman was being relocated from an assisted living facility to her family’s home. The woman was accompanied by staff members from her nursing facility during her trip home. At the moment the details that led up to the tragic event have not been described in the media, but is has been confirmed that the woman sustained one hundred and fifty hornet stings. Apparently the elderly woman made it home as news outlets reported the deadly hornets as originating from a building near her home. The hornets are believed to have originated from a nest that was located on the side of a building. This nest became damaged, which released an angry swarm of giant hornets. Unfortunately, the giant hornets attacked the elderly woman while paramedics and nursing staff had no choice but to look on in horror. The rescue workers were not able to assist the woman since they were not wearing protective gear. One employee of the assisted living facility had attempted to save her, but the hornet swarm was simply too large to be managed. The woman died from multiple organ failure at a nearby hospital not long after sustaining her injuries.

If a loved one was in the middle of a giant hornet swarm would you risk your own life in order to take a chance at saving the person? Do you believe that the rescue workers were unable to save the woman from the hornet swarm, or could they have done more?

Researchers Find A Mysterious And Wingless Wasp Preserved In Amber

It is hard to imagine wasps without wings, but at one time they existed. In fact, wingless wasps existed when dinosaurs were roaming the earth. A wasp-like specimen was found well preserved in amber and it existed one hundred million years ago. The wasp was examined by researchers from all over the world. The fossilized ancient insect has been perplexing many experts because it appears to possess body parts that are similar to the body parts found on a wide variety of modern insect species. It was determined that the wingless wasp does not belong to any established class of insects that currently exist or have ever been discovered within fossil records.

This ancient wasp likely traveled on the ground with enormous dinosaurs walking above it. The wasp likely hunted small grubs that it could successfully sting into submission. The wasp also would have been concerned with finding a proper location to lay eggs. For some reason or another, this particular wasp creature did not exist for long. This wasp must have died quickly from predation, habitat loss and/or disease. This does not surprise researchers, as many of them had a hard time imagining a wingless wasp as being a successful species. Now, one hundred million years later, this mystery wasp is lost in time. No similar insect has ever been found preserved.

A group of researchers from different countries around the world lent their own unique perspectives concerning this ancient insects relation to modern insects. Apparently the debate became heated on occasion, but eventually the researchers worked together to establish a new family of wasps based on the recently discovered specimen’s anatomy. The researchers agreed to name the new family Aptenoperissidae. This new family now only contains one known specimen, but researchers are hoping to add more members as fossils continue to be unearthed.

Do you think that a wasp’s stinger could be utilized to its advantage if it was incapable of flight?

Archive for the ‘Wasps’ Category

In America Wasp Species Are More Abundant And Diverse Than Many People Realize

All Countries Want One Certain Insect Species For Biological Pest Control Purposes

Parasitic Wasps Are Comprised Of More Species Than Any Other Insect Family

An Elderly Wheelchair-Bound Woman Dies After Sustaining 150 Giant Hornet Stings

Researchers Find A Mysterious And Wingless Wasp Preserved In Amber

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