Ever since I was little, I was taught that wasps were bad and I should keep away from them. Bees would not hurt me if I did not try to do something to them, but wasps would. Their sting would hurt more and I should be extra careful when I was near them. I was even advised to call an adult to kill a wasp, should one come my way.

Well, today I run into a few wasps, took a couple of shots and was curious to search more about them. Are they dangerous? Are they useful to us? To the environment? Do they do any good?

Are wasps all that bad?

As Professor Hart writes, even though wasps are "much maligned, these fascinating creatures perform a vital ecological role"

Why?

Wasps are predators

... and the fact that they are eating pests helps control the number of greenflies or caterpillars. It has been estimated that the UK social wasps may be responsible for 14 million kilograms prey! If wasps would be eliminated there would be a serious problem with harmful insects on the gardens but also crops.

Wasps also help with pollinating

Even though there have been some opinions about wasps not being able to pollinate as well as bees, due to not so much hair on it, this comes to be disproved. As a matter of fact, Wasps are very important pollinators. They have high-energy needs and they absolutely need pollen & nectar from a variety of flowers.

A very special kind of wasp

...Blastophaga wasp is the reason specific fig trees can be pollinated. I am sure you will enjoy this story a lot. There is a fig type called San Pedro; These figs have an opening at their end (ostiole). In this hole, the female wasps will lay their eggs. When the male wasps emerge (even before their wings are formed), they fertilize the female wasps. Most of the male Blastophaga wasps die before exiting the fruit.
However, the female Blastophaga wasps can exit the caprifig with her wings. She will try to enter another caprifrig (because she is already pregnant) and deposit her eggs.
Exiting the male caprifig, she carries pollen and puts it in the female caprifig. Entering the caprifig, her wings are ripped off and she is trapped! But the good news is that the female fruit is pollinated! (Yes, it is edible)

What happens next? The female wasp becomes food for the fig, broken down by a special enzyme.

Fascinating?

Don't go yet, there is more!

... There are specific wasps call 'parasitic' that eat crop insects, serving as natural biocontrol.

They are also very devoted mothers and what is more surprising is that they actually know each other as individuals
In addition, they are really intelligent and are characterized as architects, good navigators and also great learners!

So now tell me, have this article changed your opinion about wasps? What has caught you by surprise more?

Thanks for reading!

All sketches by me, first published on hive
Edited and removed 2 images, because I need to make sure they represent the correct type of insect.

My personal discoveries and every day experiences: https://www.instagram.com/katycrete/
My city's account and lovely community: https://www.instagram.com/aboutheraklion/

And let's not forget my giphy channels

For my city: https://giphy.com/channel/aboutheraklion
My personal account: https://giphy.com/channel/katyramm

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