What is Wasp?
[[File:Flying Vespula vulgaris.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''Vespula vulgaris'' in flight]] [[File:DSC03204 - wasp colony - paper pulp nest on maple tree near Maple Lake boating center - IL Rt-171 and 95th St 2008Oct21.JPG|thumb|right|230px|alt=A paper pulp nest on maple tree|The wasp colony: a paper pulp nest]] '''Wasps''' are members of the [[Order (biology)|order]] [[Hymenoptera]], which also includes [[ant]]s, [[bee]]s and [[sawflies]]. The common or garden wasps, ''Vespula vulgaris'', and [[hornet]]s (''Vespa'') are members of the [[eusocial]] family '''Vespidae'''. This has about 5000 species.<ref>Johnson, Norman F. and Triplehorn, Charles A. 2004. ''Borror's introduction to the study of insects'', 7th ed.</ref> By far the greater number of wasp [[species]] (over 100,000) are the [[parasitic wasps]]. Most of them are [[parasitoid]]s which lay their eggs in the [[caterpillars]] of other insect species. Almost every [[Pest (biology)|pest]] insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it. This makes wasps vital to the natural control of pest numbers ([[biocontrol]]). [[Parasitism|Parasitic]] wasps are increasingly used in [[agricultural]] [[pest]] control as they prey mostly on pest insects and have little impact on [[crops]]. == Anatomy == Many people get confused between wasps and bees. It's pretty easy to tell the difference between bees and wasps, because bees look quite hairy and wasps do not. Wasps have biting mouthparts and [[antenna]]e with 12 or 13 [[segment]]s. They usually have wings and their abdomens are attached to their thorax by a slender petiole, or a “[[waist]]”. Females have a sting, which they use for piercing and egg laying. Adult wasps feed mostly on [[nectar]], but their [[larvae]] feed on insects or [[pollen]], provided by the mother.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |url= http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/636580/wasp |title=wasp (insect) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia |encyclopedia=britannica.com |accessdate=6 April 2010}}</ref> == Free-living wasp