The ‘warrior wasp’ – a new species from Sulawesi

UC Davis Entomologist Lynn Kimsey Discovers New Species of Wasp: Gigantic Wasp With Long, Powerful Jaws DAVIS–A warrior wasp? A wasp with jaws longer than its front legs? The new species of wasp that Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology and professor of entomology at the University of California, Davis, discovered on [...]

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Wasps deserve our love, say insect conservationists

We all know the scene. You’re just sitting down to relax in your garden on a warm, sunny day, maybe with a chilled glass of wine and a newspaper … and then they attack. Buzzing at your head in a yellow and black blur, dive-bombing your ears in a desperate hunt for a sugar fix. [...]

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Beewolves protect their offspring with antibiotics

Digger wasp larvae use bacteria against infections Digger wasps of the genus Philanthus, so-called beewolves, house beneficial bacteria on their cocoons that guarantee protection against harmful microorganisms. Scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena teamed up with researchers at the University of Regensburg and the Jena Leibniz Institute for Natural Product [...]

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France worried by hornet invasion

France faces an invasion of Chinese hornets that could hasten the decline of the honeybee population. The wasps, known by their scientific name Vespa velutina, could also threaten bee-keepers’ livelihoods, researchers say. They have spread rapidly in south-western France – a region popular with tourists – and could reach other European countries soon. The 3cm-long [...]

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New orchid deception found: wearing the scent of hornet’s prey

Orchids are famous for their deceptions. Most of those with nothing of value to offer their pollinators lure them instead with the scents of more rewarding flowers or potential mates. Now, a report published online on August 6th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, reveals for the first time that a species of orchid, [...]

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Honeybee mobs overpower hornets

Honeybee hordes use two weapons – heat and carbon dioxide – to kill their natural enemies, giant hornets. Japanese honeybees form “bee balls” – mobbing and smothering the predators. This has previously been referred to as “heat-balling”, but a study has now shown that carbon dioxide also plays a role in its lethal effectiveness. [Read [...]

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Techno wasps

A video of paper wasps (Polistinae) at the nest

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