Wasp

Wasp, stinging winged insect, banded black and yellow, related to bees and ants in the order Hymenoptera. There are a number of families; most are solitary, but members of the Vespoidea are social, forming true colonies with workers, drones, and queen(s). Most of the solitary species are hunting wasps. These make nest cells in soil or decaying wood, in which they place one or more paralyzed insects before the egg is laid, to act as a living larder for the larva when it hatches. Social wasps congregate to form a permanent colony with both adults and young. The nest is usually constructed of wasp paper, a thick pulp of wood fibers and saliva. The adults feed the developing larvae on dead insects that have been killed by a bite on the neck; the sting, which in solitary wasps is used to paralyze prey, is reserved for defense. Adult wasps feed on carbohydrates: nectar, aphid honeydew, or jam.