Bumblebee
Main Characteristics of Bees and Wasps
- Bees and wasps are part of the order Hymenoptera.
- There are 20,000 species of bees and 4,000 species of wasps.
- In the US, there are around 4,000 native bee species.
- In Germany, you can find 600 species of bees and between 500 to 600 species of wasps.
- Bumblebees are part of the bee family.
- Hornets belong to the wasp family.
- The wasps that buzz around our food are just the Common and German wasps. They love sweet treats, juices, and meat.
- Most bees feed on nectar and pollen.
- Wasps are omnivores. The majority of them consume other insects, plants, flowers, and fruits.
- Not all bees produce honey. Wild bees consume or process nectar immediately, without storing it in hives.
- Most bees and wasps are solitary creatures. Only a few species form large colonies.
- Bees and wasps play a crucial role in nature as they pollinate flowers and consume pests.
- Bees and wasps always have six legs, two antennae, a stinger, and two pairs of wings (which totals four).
- In bees, the stinger has a barbed hook. When they sting a human, they die because it gets stuck in the skin and their abdomen tears away.
- In wasps, the stinger lacks barbs. They can sting multiple times.
- The most dangerous wasps are the East African lowland honey bees. When they feel threatened, they attack in swarms and pursue humans and animals within a half-mile radius (800 meters) from their nest.
- In the USA, the Africanized honeybee is feared. It is a hybrid of the European honeybee and the East African lowland honey bee. It is also known as the killer bee because it attacks in swarms.
- The largest bee is the Wallace giant bee found in Indonesia. It measures 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) in length and has a wingspan of 2.5 inches (6.3 cm).
- The smallest bee is called Perdita minima and it resides in North America. It measures only 0.07 inches (2 mm) in length and weighs 0.333 mg.
- The largest wasp is called Pepsis heros and it resides in Peru. It is also the biggest species of hymenopterans. It measures up to 2.4 inches (6.2 cm) in length and has a wingspan of 4.7 inches (12.1 cm).
- The smallest wasp is Dicopomorpha echmepterygis found in Costa Rica. It is blind, lacks wings, and measures only 0.005 inches (0.139 mm) in length.
