TIL that wasps are pollinators. Not sure why but growing up I was always informed that they are not. They were predators who did not provide honey and so there was no need for them to be near flowers for pollen. Either I’m old or I grew up in a really shorty education system. (WhyNotBoth.gif)
Thanks to this image I looked it up and learned something. Thanks for teaching me something new today!
You’re probably thinking of the big guys, like hornets and paper wasps. Most wasps are tiny, and the average person would likely confuse them with a fly. There are thousands of wasp species ranging from top-level predators to tiny parasites
If you study wasps, you’ll find that they very frequently have odd symbioses from species to species, most often as parasites/parasitoids or hyperparasites. Some even have symbiotic relationships with viruses that assist them in their parasitism - ichneumon and braconid wasps have symbiotic viruses called polydnaviruses.
Some species of flies and mosquitoes are also pollinators. One cute example of pollinating flies are the Bombyliidae. Mosquito larvae are also important food sources for aquatic and semi-aquatic species like frogs and fish.
Wasps in first line are predators, also needed in an healthy environmentm same as any other predator. Are only agressive when are in risk their nest or in selfdefense. It is typical in a picnic, a wasp can also appear to inspect food, but then it is also common for people to hit the wasp and it is normal that then defends and itchs. If he had left him alone, nothing had happened.
Aggressiveness is a human invention, an animal is never aggressive by default, when its nature and its territory are respected. There even existing videos abut hornets as mascot.
TIL that wasps are pollinators. Not sure why but growing up I was always informed that they are not. They were predators who did not provide honey and so there was no need for them to be near flowers for pollen. Either I’m old or I grew up in a really shorty education system. (WhyNotBoth.gif)
Thanks to this image I looked it up and learned something. Thanks for teaching me something new today!
You’re probably thinking of the big guys, like hornets and paper wasps. Most wasps are tiny, and the average person would likely confuse them with a fly. There are thousands of wasp species ranging from top-level predators to tiny parasites
If you wanna learn about some more wasp pollination, look up fig wasps (Agaonidae). Wasps are legitimately one of the coolest groups of animals.
i mean that’s a pretty unusual pollinator/plant relationship
If you study wasps, you’ll find that they very frequently have odd symbioses from species to species, most often as parasites/parasitoids or hyperparasites. Some even have symbiotic relationships with viruses that assist them in their parasitism - ichneumon and braconid wasps have symbiotic viruses called polydnaviruses.
Now tell me something nice about flies and mosquitoes so I don’t go on a murder rampage.
Some species of flies and mosquitoes are also pollinators. One cute example of pollinating flies are the Bombyliidae. Mosquito larvae are also important food sources for aquatic and semi-aquatic species like frogs and fish.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reproductive_coevolution_in_Ficus
Indeed very cool, but also quite disturbing the more you learn about less common wasps…
Haha there’s a reason why the Xenomorph from Alien is in part inspired by parasitoid wasps.
Wasps in first line are predators, also needed in an healthy environmentm same as any other predator. Are only agressive when are in risk their nest or in selfdefense. It is typical in a picnic, a wasp can also appear to inspect food, but then it is also common for people to hit the wasp and it is normal that then defends and itchs. If he had left him alone, nothing had happened.
Aggressiveness is a human invention, an animal is never aggressive by default, when its nature and its territory are respected. There even existing videos abut hornets as mascot.