Description and photo of a forest wasp
The forest wasp belongs to the family real wasps. Distributed in India, Pakistan, Africa, Asia Minor, Russia. Listed in the Red Book of Moscow Region. The main enemy is insecticidesthat a person uses to combat agricultural, forest pests.
Appearance Description
The forest wasp is similar to ordinary paper relatives. Yellow-black color, wasp waist, black head with straight mustache, powerful jaws. However, the color is dominated by black tone, the stripes are slightly wider. Wings transparent narrow.Big eyes are clearly visible on the head.
On a note!
Characteristic of this type of insect sting used for self-defense, attack on the victim.
A photo of a forest wasp can be seen below. The size of the body of the uterus does not exceed 19 mm, the working individuals reach a length of 15 mm. Males grow to 16 mm. Externally, it is impossible to determine what kind of wasps came into the field of view of an ordinary person; only a specialist can cope with the task.
Lifestyle
Forest wasps form a hive build nests oval-shaped, stick together, feed the larvae together. Early spring young uterus looking for a favorable place for the construction of the future nest. Material for construction gets out of wood. Spits saliva, waits a couple of minutes until the top layer softens, tightens the thin film with powerful jaws, chews. It turns out a sticky mass, from which the female builds the leg initially, and then the first honeycomb.
Lay eggs in every single cell. After a few days, larvae appear from there, for which a large amount of protein food is required. The female hunts beetles, flies, spiders, bees, small insects.Raises offspring about 14 days. At the end of the cycle, the larva pupates, after 2-4 days, working individuals appear, on which the uterus entrusts the responsibilities of nest building, arranging, feeding the larvae, protecting the hive. The very same is engaged only in laying eggs.
In late August, special larger honeycombs are added to the nest. There, the uterus lays special eggs, from which sexually mature females, males, are born. In early autumn, the younger generation mates. Males are dying, females are looking for a secluded place for wintering under the bark of trees, in the crevices of wooden buildings.
Interesting!
Lifespan working individuals a little more than 1 month, but due to the rapid reproduction of the hive is constantly updated with new efficient members of society. The uterus lives from May to October, dies with the onset of cold weather along with males, working individuals. Around the end of August, the family leaves the nest, on the construction of which more than one generation worked, the larvae themselves devour.
Nutrition
Adult forest wasps prefer liquid food of plant origin - juices of plants, vegetables, fruits, honey.They love ripe berries, apples, grapes, pears. The larvae feed exclusively on protein food; for them, adults prey on small insects, spiders, gnaw off pieces of meat and fish.
On a note!
The wasp chews food, rolls balls, feeds the larvae. Those emit sticky saliva, which adult individuals readily eat. There is a mutual exchange.
Nest
Forest wasps live in the wild in a broadleaf forest, but are not averse to settling near the house of man. The spherical nest in the form of a cocoon fastens to wooden buildings, trees, bushes, less often builds in the ground. The average size of the wasp house is no more than the parameters of an ordinary apple. Inside there are several dozen working wasps. In some cases, the family has hundreds of individuals, the size of the nest in diameter reaches 30 cm.
Man’s possession seduces the forest wasps with an abundance of food, the absence of enemies, and many convenient places to build a nest.
- attic;
- roof;
- balcony;
- household extensions;
- garden;
- vineyard;
- apiary;
- garages;
- cracked walls.
On a note!
Externally, the nest resembles rolled sheets of toilet paper. Gray, smooth surface.The entrance is located below. The family returns to the hive for the night, gets out with the first rays of the sun.
Danger of being bitten
Forest wasps are not much different from ordinary wasps by their behavior and way of life. They attack a person in self-defense, but the whole difficulty is that an insect can regard any movements as an attack, it rushes to attack.
On a note!
At one time, the forest wasp, if necessary, can sting up to 5 times, but after applying the first bite trying to retire.
Insects are attacking en masse, defending their own nest, larvae, and uterus. About the danger notify all other wasp guards or scouts. Transmit signals of a certain frequency. After a few seconds, a whole hive is attacking a person.
The main danger from the attack of a forest wasp - allergic reaction on poison, which is of varying severity. In most cases, it is enough to disinfect the wound, wipe it with alcohol. With a strong allergic reaction take antihistamines, use anti-allergic ointment.