On a warm May day you can see a large wasp buzzing as it goes about its business. This is a common hornet - a representative of the family of social wasps. Despite its impressive size, it is not aggressive. Vespa crabro or hornet wasp prefers to feed on fruit juice and other sweet foods. Insects live in large families with a constant hierarchy. The head of the colony is the queen - the only female capable of laying fertilized eggs. The purpose of working females and males is to serve the queen and the growing larvae.
Description of the hornet
Vespa crabro is a species of the largest wasp found in Europe. The body length of working individuals is 18-24 mm, the uterus is much larger - 25-35 mm. The appearance of females and males is almost identical, their differences are noticeable only with magnification. The number of segments in the antennae of the male is 13, and in the female 12, on the abdomen - 7 and 6, respectively. Small transparent wings fold along the back when at rest. The deep slit of the reddish-orange eyes resembles the letter "C". The surface of the body is densely covered with hairs.
Interesting fact. There are 9 subspecies of Vespa crabro in the world.
Wolf
These animals of Siberia look impressive and noble in the photo. They are the largest local animals from the canine class. Wolves are carnivorous mammals, of which there are many varieties. However, in Siberia there are only 2 types of wolves: tundra and common.
To distinguish a male from a female, it is enough to pay attention to the size of the individual. The first ones are much larger and heavier
The weight of an average-sized male wolf is 70 kg, and that of a female is 50. The average body length of the animal is 1.8 meters.
The wolf is a herd animal. They form groups and lead a common lifestyle. Few people know, but they create pairs for life. However, if the male, for some reason, dies, the female can take on a new partner, as she is driven by the reproductive instinct.
She-wolves are some of the best mothers in the wild. They treat their children very kindly. But the female forgets about the presence of family ties when her wolf cubs begin to feed on their own.
Wolves hunt in packs. In these parts, medium-sized moose are often their food. In a pack, there is a clear distribution of social roles: there is a leader, the main individual, his female, the second in hierarchy, and omegas. When the alpha becomes old and weak, one of the omegas can challenge him and, if he wins, become the leader.
Siberian wolf
Area of residence
In the Northern Hemisphere, up to the 63rd parallel, the most common species is the common hornet. It can be found in Europe, North America, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. In Russia, insects live over a vast territory from the European border to the Ural Mountains and Siberia. Even in the northern and eastern provinces of China they know what the European hornet looks like.
Interesting fact. Until the mid-19th century, hornet wasps were not found in North America. They were accidentally introduced by European sailors.
Kinds
- Vespa affinis Linnaeus, 1764
- Vespa analis Fabricius, 1775
- Vespa basalis Smith, 1852
- Vespa bellicosa de Saussure, 1854
- Vespa bicolor Fabricius, 1787
- Vespa binghami du Buysson, 1905
- Vespa crabro Linnaeus, 1758 - Common hornet
- Vespa ducalis Smith, 1852
- Vespa dybowskii Andre, 1884
- Vespa fervida Smith, 1858
- Vespa fumida Van der Vecht, 1956
- Vespa luctuosa de Saussure, 1854
- Vespa mandarinia Smith, 1852
- Vespa mocsaryana du Buysson, 1905
- Vespa multimaculata Perez, 1910
- Vespa orientalis Linnaeus, 1771
- Vespa philippinensis de Saussure, 1854
- Vespa simillima Smith, 1868
- Vespa soror du Buysson, 1905
- Vespa tropica Linnaeus, 1758
- Vespa velutina Lepeletier, 1836
- Vespa vivax Smith, 1870
Differences between a hornet and a wasp
Hornets differ from other members of the family in size and enlarged nape. These parameters immediately catch your eye. The differences are also noticeable in the nuances of color - the back, base of the abdomen and antennae of the hornet are brown, while those of the wasp are black. The basic proportions of the body structure of insects are similar; they have a thin waist, strong jaws, and a sting.
External features complement the differences in character; despite its superior size, the common hornet is less aggressive than the wasp. An attack can be provoked by approaching the nest where the hornets live in the summer.
Information. A prejudiced attitude towards hornet wasps has developed due to their impressive size and menacing buzzing sound when flying. Unreasonable fear causes active actions towards insects; a person waving his hands at it will be bitten.
Types of hornets
There are more than two dozen varieties of hornets. Initially, insects were found only in East Asia. With the help of humans, typical inhabitants of the subtropics reached North America and Canada. In addition to the ordinary one, which is described above, it is worth considering three interesting and numerous types:
- The Asian giant hornet is the largest representative of wasps. It is not for nothing that in Taiwan they gave him the appropriate nickname - “tiger bee”. The body length reaches 60 mm, the wingspan is more than 75 mm. Its habitat: China, Korea, Japan, India, Primorsky Krai of the Russian Federation. The insect is known for its highly toxic poison, produced in large quantities. Its bite is dangerous and painful; an attack by several individuals leads to the death of a person. Japanese statistics report 40 annual deaths from the sting of the sparrow bee.
- The black hornet is similar in size to its ordinary European counterpart. It is distinguished by its black belly and brown wings. The insect is found in Transbaikalia and Primorye, as well as in India and China. An unusual fact about the development of the black hornet deserves attention. His queen deceives someone else's nest, masquerading as their queen with pheromones. The deceived family takes care of the eggs and larvae of the parasite.
- The eastern hornet is characterized by its adaptation to dry climates. The insect lives in the subtropics of Asia and America, and is widespread in southern Europe. The size of individuals is smaller than representatives of other species, the uterus reaches 30 mm, males are smaller - 16-20 mm.
Siberian boar
The wild boar is the largest artiodactyl living in these areas. Its peculiarity is its unpretentiousness in food. This large animal is happy to feast on both nuts and small chipmunks. The pigs that people keep at home are descended from the wild boar. The Siberian wild boar prefers to live in steppe areas. Its average weight is 200 kg. Female wild boars weigh slightly less, up to 180 kg.
This wild animal is distinguished from the domestic pig by its dense fur and protruding ears. If you touch it, you can feel the hardness. This is due to the coarse bristles that cover the entire body of the animal. It has a brownish-yellow color.
A wild boar
Life cycle features
To learn more about an insect, consider its life cycle from birth to death.
Birth
A single queen gives life to an entire generation of a family of giant wasps. In the spring she finds a place to build a house for a new colony. The female makes the first honeycombs herself, then lays eggs in them. After a few days, larvae appear and require animal food. Their mother regularly goes hunting for caterpillars, beetles, butterflies and other insects. The grown larvae wrap themselves in silk thread and turn into pupae. Two weeks later, the young hornets gnaw the path of their cocoon.
Interesting. In bad rainy weather, the hornets cannot fly out of the nest, then the larvae give droplets of food to the workers.
Maturity
In July, several working males and females grow up and are ready to take care of the family. They help complete the construction of honeycombs and fly for protein for the larvae. The queen stops leaving the house and concentrates on laying eggs. How long do hornets live? The life of working females and males is very short. They grow up at the end of summer, and in September most of the individuals die. The rest survive until the first cold weather.
In early autumn, the family reaches its population peak. In the last clutch, the queen laid fertilized eggs, from which females emerged that could become new queens. Individuals born earlier had altered ovaries; their functioning was suppressed by the queen’s pheromones. Young females and males begin to swarm around the nest and mate. The insects will save the sperm obtained in the fall to found a new family. After mating, males will live for about a week. The old queen loses her ability to reproduce and is driven out onto the street or killed.
Lifestyle
Insects create a colony. They are active at any time. Sleep time takes a few minutes. In case of danger, they begin to defend their swarm and queen. When feeling anxious, the queen releases an alarm pheromone - a special substance that activates other relatives to attack.
Its natural habitat is forest. Due to the active cutting down of trees, insects are looking for new places to live. For this reason, they can be found in the garden and in outbuildings. The fight against them is carried out when the population is small. Only specialists can handle a large colony.
Insects are inherently hierarchical. The head of the colony is the queen. She is the only female capable of laying fertilized eggs. Working females and males serve the queen and larvae. There can only be one uterus; when it is exhausted, a new one is found.
It is not recommended to make sudden movements or shake the nest. Also, you should not kill hornets near the hive, since a dying individual transmits an alarm signal and encourages an attack.
How do hornets winter?
Almost all members of the hornet colony die before the onset of winter. Only fertilized young females will remain. During the last warm days, they actively hunt, replenishing their body’s energy reserves. A decrease in daylight hours becomes a signal for the onset of diapause. This is a condition in which the body's metabolic processes are inhibited.
Where do hornets winter? They choose secluded places where they can hide from severe frosts and natural enemies - birds and mammals. Females prefer to climb under the bark of trees; the deeper they are, the greater their chances of surviving until spring. For wintering, tree hollows filled with fallen leaves, crevices in sheds, and attics are used. Females will wake up in May, when the average air temperature does not drop below 100. They will live the longest - 1 year and create a new family of common hornets.
Wintering
The organisms of these insects are poorly adapted to living in frosty conditions. Hornets carefully prepare their habitats for winter.
With the onset of the cold season, insects begin to eat abundantly and store nutrients to last throughout the winter. And also in the fall they search for a calm and safe place. There should not be large temperature changes in it. Wintering dwellings must be protected from birds, because birds actively hunt bushes.
Nutrition
Hornets can be called omnivorous insects; they are dexterous hunters, but at the same time lovers of plant food. What do hornets eat? Adults have a wide gastronomic diet:
- nectar;
- juice of ripe soft fruits (peach, pear, apple);
- berries - raspberries, blackberries, strawberries;
- aphid secretions;
- honey.
Predatory insects, except for the queen, eat their relatives only at the larval stage. Working individuals with enviable diligence shuttle between the nest and the hunting site, bringing spiders, centipedes, and worms to their offspring. Hornets cut up prey with powerful jaws, feeding protein to the growing larvae and queen, which requires strength to lay eggs. Large wasps often attack individual bees and hives. One large individual is capable of tearing apart up to 30 honey plants.
Interesting fact. Hornets do not have a long period of sleep; they are active at any time of the day. To rest, they simply freeze for a few minutes. Numerous hungry larvae, the number of which sometimes reaches up to 500, require a lot of food. A family of predatory insects is capable of destroying up to 0.5 kg of garden pests daily.
Building a nest
The place for the hornets' nest should be secluded, protected from bad weather and drafts. In nature, these are tree hollows; a reduction in their number forces the queen to seek shelter close to human habitation. Sometimes females choose a nesting box, which soon becomes completely filled with tiers of honeycombs, requiring them to find a new location. Insects can simply hang a nest on a tree branch, hide it in a rock crevice, a steppe hole, or in the attic of a house or outbuilding.
If there is no rotten stump or other wood nearby, working individuals cause significant damage to young branches. With strong jaws they scrape off the bark, which they use to build a nest. Ash or birch wood is mixed with saliva and becomes the building material for the hexagonal honeycomb walls of the nest. Born architects can create real masterpieces.
The nest material resembles cardboard or corrugated paper. The expansion of the structure is carried out in tiers, from top to bottom. From the first leg, attached by the uterus, it will grow to 5-7 tiers. Honeycomb plates have up to 500 cells. The outside of the nest has the shape of a cocoon. The thickness of the protective walls is several centimeters. Interestingly, the color of the cocoon depends on the wood, the most common being brown. The shape of the nest changes depending on the stage of construction. Typically, insects flock to their home to rest at night. How many hornets are in the nest? Their number depends on the stage of development of the colony, favorable conditions, and abundance of food. The colony can number 300-400 individuals.
A large amount of remains of eaten insects, corpses of dead hornets, and other debris accumulate on the ground under the building. This landfill emits an unpleasant odor and becomes a source of parasite development. They can lead to the death of the colony.
Information. Despite the colossal efforts spent on building the nest, the insects will not settle in it next year. The young queens will find a new home.
Habitats
The habitat of most representatives of this insect species is in the northern hemisphere. Under natural conditions, insects most often nest in tree hollows. Such nests rarely reach their maximum size, since the space in the hollow is most often very limited and there is simply not enough room for expansion. Therefore, flying individuals can be found on lands where various agricultural crops are sown, in forests and large bushes.
Flying individuals build nests on verandas, in toilets, under stairs, in attics, attics, small houses and even in birdhouses. The building material is dilapidated, rotten wood.
How does a hornet bite?
The insect has a sharp and smooth sting that stings quickly and painfully. The insect's venom is not more toxic than that of a bee, and therefore the symptoms of intoxication are similar. The consequences of a bite depend on the body's reaction. Even with strong immunity, swelling and redness appear at the puncture site. If an individual manages to inject a large amount of poison by inflicting several sting strikes, inflammation occurs. With increased sensitivity to the toxin, anaphylactic shock occurs. In this case, urgent hospitalization is required.
Why does a severe allergic reaction occur? It is caused by histamine, a substance present in the chemical formula of the poison. Histamine accelerates the allergic effect, so even with a strong immune system, malaise appears. In Russia, death from the bites of the common hornet has been recorded only a few times in the history of observations. The largest number of deaths occur due to giant hornets in Asia.
The sting for hornets is a weapon of defense. It is a modified ovipositor connected to a gland that produces a toxin. The absence of notches makes it easy to remove the weapon from the wound. The introduction of poison occurs through muscle contraction. How does a hornet sting? It pierces the enemy's skin and injects a drop of toxin. The presence of a substance that acts on nerve endings causes instant pain. At the time of the bite, the insect does not use up its entire supply of poison. Otherwise, it will remain unarmed during the next attack. It takes some time for the poison to recover.
Attention. Bites in the neck area of the mouth are especially dangerous; they cause swelling of the larynx and block breathing. Due to immature immunity, children are at greater risk than adults.
For hunting, insects use their jaws, tearing prey with them. The production of potent poison and a long, strong sting indicate that they often have to repel enemy attacks on the nest.
A bite of an insect
The hornet itself is a peace-loving insect, but if the matter concerns its home, then the matter can take a completely different turn. The hornet inflicts one bite after another and attacks the enemy very mercilessly.
More than 3 grams of poison enters the victim, which in turn causes spasm and unbearable pain, the bite site becomes very swollen. Unlike bees, a hornet can bite more than three times in a short period of time. The size of a hornet's sting differs significantly from that of a bee. Its sting is 1.5 mm.
Danger to humans - myth or reality?
The behavior of the common hornet differs significantly depending on the distance from the nest. During flights for food for themselves, the queen and larvae, they behave peacefully. But, when a real or imaginary danger to the nest appears, the hornets mercilessly sting everyone who falls into the zone of their aggression. There are always several individuals on duty near the house for protection. In the event of an attack, they give a special alarm signal that gathers the whole family.
How dangerous are hornets to humans? The strong venom of insects when bitten causes an attack of pain. Unpleasant sensations and swelling may persist for several days. The symptoms are similar for all victims, only the intensity of the manifestation differs.
Insects jealously defend their nest, but with careful approach, you can monitor the life of the colony. The main thing is to remember a few rules of behavior:
- do not make sudden movements;
- do not touch the nest with your hands or a stick;
- do not interfere with the flight of the hornets.
It is recommended to destroy the nests of the common hornet only if there is an increased danger in the neighborhood. For example, if it is located in a used room or next to an apiary. Predators are the worst enemies of bees and beekeepers. People with hypersensitivity to poison should get rid of the neighborhood, otherwise they will be in danger. In general, large wasps are peaceful neighbors, which will also help with the destruction of pests.
