Wasps

Wasps are closely related not only to bees, hornets, yellow jackets—and ants!

Like ants, wasps are a very highly evolved order of insects (many scientists consider them the most highly evolved) and live in colonies composed of:

queens, who bear offspring
drones, or males who exist for the purpose of mating
and workers, or sterile females who do the colony's dirty work (obtaining food, nest building, defending the nest, raising the young, etc.)
In addition, wasps share several physical characteristics with ants, including long antennae, long legs, two pairs of wings and a narrow "hourglass" waist.


Not all wasps sting. Parasitic wasps feed on other insects and plants. Wasps of this type are not only harmless to humans, but actually beneficial. They help control the population of pest insects such as cockroaches through their feeding, plus play a vital role in the pollination of flowers and farm crops. Parasitic wasps account for the majority of wasp species, and can usually be found in close proximity to flowers or near their nest.

Non-parasitic (or hunting) wasps, which are predatory in nature, feed mainly on nectar and fruit juices as adults. However, they must hunt down other insects in order to provide food for their young, which is why nature has armed them with stingers and venom. Territorial and aggressive, these winged predators are well-equipped to kill both insect prey and ward off intruders -- human and otherwise -- who venture too near their nests or disturb their feeding.