Narrow-waisted insects that are neither bees nor ants, with tens of thousands of species. Yellowjackets and hornets live in colonies with a queen, but most wasp species live alone.
Quick answers
What is it?Insect
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?Can be
Many wasps can sting, and colonies defend their nests. People are stung most in late summer, when workers look for sugary food.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inWorldwide
HabitatForest, Grassland, Farmland, Towns
ColoursYellow, Black
SizeTiny
Length0.139 mm to 5 cm (Asian giant hornet)
Legs6
Covered inExoskeleton
Lives alone
Lives for1 year
Can fly
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Everywhere except the polar regions.
- What it eats
- Many are predators or parasites of other insects; some feed on nectar.
Did you know
Social wasps invented paper long before we did, by chewing wood.
Wasps control crop pests such as whitefly in tomato greenhouses.
Often confused with
- Bee
Bees evolved from wasps. Bees feed on nectar and pollen and have feathery hairs for carrying pollen; most wasps hunt.
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