Lecture 27 Flashcards
why do wasps sting?
Defense
Indiv
Nest
Accidental
Attack
Predation - Sting prey to bring back to nest
Nest usurpation - Conflict b/w social insects
what type of wasps sting?
social wasps
a lot of resources to protect
why do social wasps sting?
a lot of resources to protect
Honey Breeding chambers – larvae Attack against animals (like bears) that would go after their resources
what type of insect has a barbed stinger?
honey bees
describe what happens when a honey bee stings?
die once they’ve stung
stinger becomes stuck in what it stung (when stinging mammals, not other insects)
a stinger is a modified ______
ovipositor
Bees are ______ ______ wasps
vegetarian digger
are wasps predators or scavengers?
both
how many spp of bees in genus Trigona are obligately necrophagous?
3
what are the characteristics of bees? (7)
Long antenna
Narrow waist
Hairy hind legs, bodies
Small compound eyes
4 wings
females have pollen on bodies
many colours (most not black & yellow)
what are the 2 characteristics that separate wasps from bees?
- Less hairy bodies
* Don’t carry pollen
what are the characteristics of flies? (6)
- Large compound eyes
- Small antennae
- Thick waist
- 2 wings
- Hind wings reduced
- Can be mimics of wasps & bees (Ex: black & yellow striped colouring)
how many spp of Vespidae are there & how many are social?
4000 spp
1000 social (the rest solitary)
what are ex of wasps from Vespidae?
o Paper wasps, hornets, yellow jackets
describe the distribution of Vespidae
♣ Nearly all found in temperate regions
♣ Some European spp introduced to NA
what wasps have an open nest?
paper wasps
do the workers & queen overwinter?
no, just the queen
how do the colonies of bees start out?
Queen constructs a spherical enclosed nest
Lay eggs that become workers
what do the cells contain?
brood
will the wasps reuse their nests?
no
what are the types of nests? (4)
exposed cone
aerial nest
underground nest
the use of any cavities
what type of wasp uses an exposed cone nest?
paper wasp
where are aerial nests constructed?
cavities
what type of nest requires excavation?
underground nest
