Where the UK"s wasps have gone and why they need your help
I get twitchy about taking holidays at the end of August, because it's the only time of year when people (and the media) in the UK seem to want to talk about wasps and I have spent my career trying to change people's minds about these fascinating ins.....»»
What’s the Point of Wasps, Anyway?
A new study says the reviled stinging insects play a critical ecological role—and their venom might even be useful to people......»»
Wasps are valuable for ecosystems, economy and human health (just like bees)
Wasps deserve to be just as highly valued as other insects, like bees, due to their roles as predators, pollinators, and more, according to a new review paper led by UCL and University of East Anglia researchers......»»
Wasps "could be just as valuable as bees if we give them the chance"
Wasps could be just as valuable as bees for their contribution to ecosystems, according to research......»»
Defensive symbiosis leads to gene loss in bacterial partners
Antibiotics on the cocoon protect the offspring of beewolves, a group of digger wasps, from detrimental fungi. These protective substances are produced by symbiotic bacteria of the genus Streptomyces, which live in these insects. In a new study in PN.....»»
Social wasps lose face recognition abilities in isolation
Just as humans are challenged from the social isolation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a new study finds that a solitary lifestyle has profound effects on the brains of a social insect: paper wasps......»»
"Bug brain soup" expands menu for scientists studying animal brains
Using a surprisingly simple technique, researchers in the University of Arizona Department of Neuroscience have succeeded in approximating how many brain cells make up the brains of several species of bees, ants and wasps. The work revealed that cert.....»»
New wasp species discovered in Norway
Cuckoo wasps—also called emerald wasps—are some of the most beautiful insects we have, with colorful exteriors that shine like jewels. However, these beauties have also created a lot of headaches......»»
Pioneering research reveals gardens are secret powerhouse for pollinators
Home gardens are by far the biggest source of food for pollinating insects, including bees and wasps, in cities and towns, according to new research......»»
Tropical paper wasps babysit for neighbors
Wasps provide crucial support to their extended families by babysitting at neighboring nests, according to new research by a team of biologists from the universities of Bristol, Exeter and UCL published today in Nature Ecology and Evolution......»»
Pollinator host-switches and fig hybridization dominate fig-wasp coevolution
The genus Ficus (figs) and their agaonid pollinating fig wasps are a classic example of coevolution. It represents perhaps the most extreme and ancient (about 75 million years) obligate pollination mutualism known......»»