Hobbies And Interests
Ichneumon Wasps
Ichneumon wasps have long, brightly-colored skinny bodies. Females have a long ovipositor used for egg laying that extends out from the back of their abdomens. Unlike most other wasps, this species is solitary. Females lay their eggs in other insects, including pine beetles. The larvae feed on the insides of the beetle, carefully avoiding damaging the beetle's vital organs. This keeps the beetle alive long enough for the larvae to grow to adulthood. When the larvae are almost completely full-grown, they begin devouring the insect's vital organs and it dies.
Paper Wasp
Paper wasps are named for their nesting habits. They gather wood and digest it with their saliva to turn it into a paperlike substance with which they build their nests. They are typically about an inch long, with black bodies and yellow markings. They hunt for insects to feed their larvae, and wood-boring beetles like the pine beetle are a popular choice. Adult paper wasps feed primarily on nectar from flowers.
Yellow Jacket
Yellow jackets are similar in appearance to paper wasps. However, they have slightly larger abdomens and more yellow on their bodies than paper wasps. Some have red abdomens instead of black. These wasps are highly social and will aggressively attack colony invaders. Adults chew up a variety of substances to feed to larvae and frequently feed on pine beetles.
European Hornet
European hornets are large wasps with bright bands of yellow or red color on their abdomens. They are not aggressive unless provoked, but emit a distress pheromone that causes all the members of their colony to swarm and sting. Their nests are normally built in trees, and they are one of the few hornet species that hunts in groups. They prey on large insects including beetles, grasshoppers and yellow jackets.