The bee wolf wasp is one of the species of wasps whose venom causes a severe allergic reaction. But we will now tell you what is remarkable about these stinging insects.
Wasps... seem like small creatures, but when we see them, we immediately try to stay away, don't we? People are afraid of a wasp sting, because many of us can have terrible allergies, the stung area swells and hurts a lot! The wasp family is very large and diverse; there are a great many species and subspecies of these insects. Among them, one of the interesting species is the bee wolf wasp. Is there even a wolf among insects? It turns out - yes! This arthropod insect belongs to the order Hymenoptera. The bee wolf is a member of the sand wasp family, which includes the genus Philanthus.
bee wolf wasp
Why was the wasp called “wolf” and does it have “wolf” habits? Let's figure this out now...
The difference between some types of bees and others ↑
What are the differences between a bee and a wasp?
It is difficult to understand what differences between them are present. So, let's see what differences a wasp has and what a bee does not. A wasp is an insect with membranous wings. They are considered stalked. The first difference is that she does not have such thick hair. They don't collect pollen. They have their own color. Looking at the photo, you can see yellow, white and black stripes.
The female has a modified sting, which previously served as an ovipositor. But now the sting helps the female defend herself. Their food is other insects. They prefer spiders. Although they can safely eat solid food. A mature individual feeds not only on nectar, but also on the blood of the prey.
They are divided into 2 types. They can live either alone or in society. A wasp that leads a solitary lifestyle never builds a nest. She finds food on the ground. It can become a beetle larva, which the insect paralyzes and then lays eggs. This species is not very numerous.
Mostly wasps are found building nests. The nest can be an ordinary earthen hole, or any house made of clay. Females that paralyze insects give them to the larvae to eat.
Burrowing wasps have a special behavior. Their food includes various insects. The nests are located on the stems of various plants, and the chambers intended for the larvae are filled with aphids. Individuals can feed the larvae in a special way. They dig a hole in the ground with a widening at the end. There they lay a couple of caterpillars and lay eggs. During growth, the larva has food. At a certain stage, it enters the cocoon stage, from which it later emerges as a full-fledged individual.
Wasp
The behavior of wasps that lead a semi-social lifestyle is slightly different. The female of this type of wasp finds a pair of caterpillars and carries them to the larval chamber. So, she does this until the larva has fully developed. They can chew caterpillars and subsequently feed them to the larvae.
Colonial wasps prefer cell houses. They try to choose trees or building walls to create a nest. The cells from which their hive is made resemble ordinary paper. They make them from grass after chewing it. Wasps, like bees, have divisions according to work. They have a female, who lays eggs, and workers.
To lay eggs, the queen builds one cell. Subsequently, the remaining cells are built. When the larvae hatch, she gives them chewed flies as food. When the larvae feed, they secrete saliva, which is later passed on to the adult. Before fully developing, the larva turns into a cocoon. Then she becomes a full-fledged individual. This mainly happens at the end of summer. Some of the wasps fall into torpor in winter, while others die.
Bees also have webbed wings. They have a black body color with yellow spots. The bee has a stockier body than the wasp and has thick hair. Individuals feed only on plant foods. It contains pollen and nectar.
To collect pollen, the individual has baskets on its legs, and its body has thick and long hairs. Thus, they can transfer pollen from one flower to another. The wasp does not have such adaptations due to the fact that it does not pollinate plants. Individuals produce different bee products. Beeswax also has beneficial properties, just like honey.
What it is?
The dance of bees is an ordinary element of communication between winged workers. A bee cannot shout to its friend: “Hey, fly here, I found high-quality pollen here!”, so we have to resort to various methods and signals that indicate this moment. The signal that indicates a large flower area and the one that warns of danger are significantly different. In accordance with environmental conditions, insects interact with each other, representing a whole and organized organism, each movement is a specific sign.
Who discovered the bee tongue?
It all started back in 1923. A bee scientist from Germany, Frisch, first discovered the bee tongue, which is a circular movement, complex and intricate. Such movements began to be simply called “dance.” The dance of bees regulates all the field work of ordinary individuals (see photos and videos).
Mechanism of operation
Before pollen collection begins, the entire bee colony sits quietly. Some individual individuals fly out for reconnaissance. If a source of pollen is discovered, a huge number of assistants rush to such a scout bee. After all, when a bee returns with a crop full of nectar, she gives it to another bee, and then begins her special circular dance (look at the photo).
The dance of bees, of course, is not Macarena, but the movements are quite simple - the insect runs on a honeycomb among other bees in small circles, now to the left, now to the right. (see photo). This dance lasts no more than one minute. Having completed it, the worker flies back to the source of nectar. Another type of dance is called wagging (look at the photo), it consists of alternating semicircles, while the bee sways the back of its body, as if wagging it. A wagging appearance signals that the food is at a long distance, and a circular appearance signals that it will not be necessary to fly far. Take a closer look at the movements in the photo.
Life activity ↑
Bees are hard workers. They work all day long to bring a lot of benefit to the hive. They select their houses carefully. And if they don’t like the chosen house, they are ready to go in search of new housing. They themselves produce wax and other useful products that are important for humans.
As mentioned above, the wasp makes its home from various devices. This can include leaves, twigs and waste. The food of wasps is varied. They can feed not only on nectar, but also on fruits. A delicacy for wasps is a fly.
At home
Bees' nest in a hollow
The bee house, unlike the wasp house, is simple. These individuals do not build houses from leaves. They simply settle in tree hollows. The hive is considered a man-made home for bees. Such a bee house is created by man. Beehives and tree hollows are perceived equally well by bees.
If wasps have built a nest near your home, it is worth removing it. If you don’t get rid of the nest, then these insects will multiply and will not give you peace.
Remember, it is easier to get rid of a nest in winter than in summer. In spring and autumn, houses are empty. You will not be harmed when eliminating them.
If you can’t wait until autumn, it’s better to get rid of the nest at night. At this time, all the inhabitants are at home and sleeping. During the day you should not engage in elimination, due to the absence of insects at home. When they return, they will begin to look for their home, and can greatly harm the offender.
You can get rid of a beehive, but you shouldn't. Only this species produces useful products. Especially if these are products of wild bees. Wild bees will either fly away on their own and find a new home, or they need to be carefully transferred to a new home, without forgetting the queen.
Behavior ↑
The bee will not attack first. She will attack at the moment of danger. Having been stung once, she dies. This happens because the sting remains in the opponent. The insect protects its home and queen.
Unlike bees, wasps have an aggressive nature. This insect is annoying and stings when she wants. It’s not so easy to get rid of it, you won’t be able to get rid of it. Having stung an opponent, she remains alive. The queen spends the winter alone. No one protects or protects her. She builds her own nest and lays her eggs.
Philant ↑
Philanthus, or in other words, the bee wolf, is an insect that breeds offspring and hunts alone. This ground wasp is distributed throughout the world. For the honey bee, the bee wolf is considered the most dangerous enemy. You can see it in the photo.
The poison of this individual first affects the muscles and only then the nervous system. The brain sends signals to move, but the muscles, under the influence of the poison, cannot respond to it. The poison causes paralysis of the victim.
Wasp "Philant"
The bee wolf, grasping the victim, moves its jaws and crushes it. The individual tries to get to the nectar, which is located in the abdomen of the victim. If nectar flows out of the mouth, the bee wolf licks it off.
The bee wolf is trying to get to the nectar not out of love for it, Nectar and honey are poison for its larvae. Before giving the victim to the larva, the wasp gets rid of it.
The bee wolf lays an egg on its prey. The victim remains alive, but paralyzed. The larva, emerging, eats it.
If a bee wolf settles near an apiary, then all the bees may die. They will simply become a victim of the wasp.
For humans, this type of wasp is not very scary. Beekeepers catch them with their bare hands.
Peculiarities
The life cycle of the philanthus ranges from 25 to 40 days. For a halo of residence, wasps choose well-warmed spaces. Male and female bee wolves perform different functions.
It is the males who search for areas to live. Having chosen the necessary area, they protect it from the invasion of strangers and wait for females. After mating, females begin to build tunnels for the development of their offspring.
Philants burrow into sandy soils almost 1 m deep. Each tunnel ends with a place for offspring. As soon as the nest is ready, the female flies out on her hunt.
Insects feed on plant nectar, and their offspring feed on bees. They are not caught everywhere, even in flight. Sensing the scent of a bee, the wolf flies up to it and, being stronger than it, grabs it with its jaws and paws.
And it hits it with a sting in the chest area, behind the first pair of paws. Because
from here the poison quickly enters the node of nerve endings. The wasp extracts nectar from a paralyzed, motionless bee by pressing its paws on the bee's abdomen. This is done so that the sticky liquid does not harm the growing larva.
To feed the larvae, up to 5-6 bees are needed. Wasps are endowed with certain properties of poison, which causes long-term paralysis in the affected insects. In this case, a living but immobile bee serves as a source of fresh food throughout the entire period of maturation of the offspring (larvae). Having established a nest and laid eggs, adults and their children no longer intersect. Another interesting feature of earth wasps is orientation in space. They remember the surroundings around the nest and use their natural “navigator” to find their way home even from great distances.
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Let's summarize the differences ↑
- round shapes, without bright color, with many fibers;
- can produce various useful products;
- will not attack first;
- after the attack, she dies;
- the uterus is protected.
Wasps
- the wasp, on the contrary, has an elongated body, with bright colors, without villi;
- wasps do not make anything;
- will sting the opponent first;
- the wasp will survive repeated attacks;
- The queen wasp feeds on its own.
Lifestyle in nature
The task of every beekeeper is to protect his apiary from any adversity and trouble. Having an idea of the phylant's lifestyle, you will be able to assess the degree of danger of this insect.
Habitat
The wasp wolf (Philanthus triangulum) is distributed in the regions of Central and Central Asia, the North Caucasus, in the south of Ukraine, in the middle zone and in the southern regions of the Russian Federation.
Where do they nest?
Philanthus builds its nests mainly near rivers. Colonies of insects dig quite deep holes, up to half a meter, where the females lay eggs at the very bottom. For the construction of their homes, females choose dry, sandy soils heated by the sun's rays.
What do they eat?
Males love to feast on food of plant origin. Females feed on juice flowing from the beak of a captured bee. The philanthus larvae feed on the corpses of bees . To feed one wasp wolf larva, 4–6 bees are needed.
Hunting methods
The task of feeding the offspring of the philanthus lies with the females . She is the one who goes out hunting. Hiding in ambush and sensing the scent of a honey bee, the female attacks and stings it. The poison of a predatory insect paralyzes the bee. Having wrapped her paws around the victim, the female wolf lands. Already sitting on a hard surface, she drinks nectar from the victim’s goiter, and takes the bee itself to the hole.
Features of reproduction and development of larvae
The cub of the philanthus develops over a fairly long period of time. At least a year passes from the moment the female lays an egg until she matures. A larva emerges from the laid egg and a year later reaches the size of an average caterpillar. During its life, one wasp wolf (and it lives no longer than 30–45 days) digs up to eight burrow nests where it lays eggs.
For the normal development of future offspring, the female attaches the laid egg to the already stored corpses of bees (about 6–8). The larva, which appears a few days later, actively feeds and develops rapidly. After only 7–8 days, its size reaches 1 cm, after which the “cocoon weaving” stage of development begins.
This is followed by the pupal phase, lasting approximately 10 months, which allows the young phylanthus to survive the harsh winter period. And only with the onset of warm spring an adult individual is formed from the pupa.
Reproduction
With the arrival of warm days, the female hornet is actively looking for a place to lay eggs. She is ready to live and start a family only in suitable conditions, so in her search she flies over large areas. Having found a convenient corner, she immediately begins to create her home.
Each egg has its own sector. After 2-3 days, small hornet larvae hatch from them. They chew the lid and climb out. The offspring are born long before the winter period, manage to get stronger and continue the work that was started by the uterus.
After fertilization, the males die, followed by the old queen, and after some time the unfertilized individuals lose their lives. Those who have been fertilized overwinter, continue to live and then create their own nest. In the hornet family, reproduction is successful.
What danger do they pose?
After being bitten by a wasp wolf, a person feels burning pain and itching. Swelling also appears at the site of the bite. A philant can threaten human health only if the victim is allergic to the bite of this insect.
These individuals cause much more damage to the apiary than to humans. Bee philants attack both in the honey collection and in the apiary itself. When harmful insects spread massively, bees exhibit passive behavior and stop flying for nectar . All this harms the bee family: the queen stops laying eggs, and the entire colony is weakened.
How to deal with them
If you happen to stumble upon a nest of wasp wolves, the effective control methods described below will come to your aid.
Chemical
The predatory wasp can be controlled using chemicals. Having discovered a nest of wasp wolves, it is necessary to treat the entrance with chemicals . For this, use a solution of carbon disulfide or the insecticide Hexachlorane. The chemical can be poured directly into the bee wolf's hole.
Manual destruction
The easiest way to get rid of predatory bees is their mechanical extermination using a fly swatter . By destroying the female, you deprive her larvae of food and guarantee the safety of the apiary.
Another simple method of combating philanthus is
destroying the insect’s home .
The essence of the method is to block the female wolf’s access to the larvae. To this end, dig the entrance to the hole, dig up the ground with nests and plant the area where they live with perennial grasses. Thus, many means of combating the ominous bee wolf have been developed, and all of them are quite effective. Alternating manual and chemical control methods will protect you and your apiary from danger.
Basic measures to protect the apiary
The question of how to get rid of wasps in an apiary can be given a clear answer: success will depend on comprehensive measures taken by the beekeeper.
Large wasp colonies can greatly weaken bee nests, since predators prefer to settle in the very places where they hatch. Insect pupae tolerate wintering well, which also contributes to the spread of the colony.
The fight against wasps in the apiary includes the following measures:
- To exterminate phylants, it is necessary to plow or dig up for the winter areas occupied by a colony of predators. These wasps like to settle only in dry areas, bare of vegetation. Therefore, it is advisable to sow the plowed soil with grass or constantly moisten this area by covering it with straw, fallen leaves, and small brushwood. During the period of mass reproduction of predators, moving the apiary to another place, located away from the wasp burrows, helps. You can pour insecticide into the nests themselves.
- The fight against hornets in the apiary is unthinkable without the early destruction of their paper nests. In the spring, it is necessary to kill the female, since this very step will provoke the death of the entire family of predators (there will be no one to feed the young animals).
- For insects and hornets, insecticides are used in a mixture with an attractant (ether-2,4-hexadienyl butyrate). They are used to treat pest nests.
- Another effective and affordable way is to install traps in places where predators gather.
Preparatory work before cleaning
In order to avoid critical situations, before getting rid of a wasp’s nest, you need to show foresight and do something in advance:
- choose the right time for stripping (it is better to do this at night or before dawn, when the insects are hibernating);
- prepare all the necessary means and tools to destroy the nest, so as not to waste time searching for them later;
- think about escape routes in case a whole flock of wasps attacks (you can, for example, quickly run to the car, jump in and slam the door);
- discuss with household members where they will hide at a time when angry insects fly around the area and look for someone to attack;
- close all doors and windows in the house so that wasps cannot enter;
- wear a respirator (if you have to deal with toxic substances).
The most suitable time of year for the procedure of getting rid of wasps is spring. During this period, wasp nests have not yet been completed, and there are still relatively few adult individuals in them.
bee wolf wasp
The bee wolf wasp is one of the species of wasps whose venom causes a severe allergic reaction. But we will now tell you what is remarkable about these stinging insects.
Wasps... seem like small creatures, but when we see them, we immediately try to stay away, don't we? People are afraid of a wasp sting, because many of us can have terrible allergies, the stung area swells and hurts a lot! The wasp family is very large and diverse; there are a great many species and subspecies of these insects. Among them, one of the interesting species is the bee wolf wasp. Is there even a wolf among insects? It turns out - yes! This arthropod insect belongs to the order Hymenoptera. The bee wolf is a member of the sand wasp family, which includes the genus Philanthus.
bee wolf wasp
Why was the wasp called “wolf” and does it have “wolf” habits? Let's figure this out now...
Intimidating name
Of course, many are interested in why the insect received such a strange name - wolf. After all, the generally accepted opinion about wolves is not very positive; these predators from ancient fairy tales have established themselves as evil and negative heroes. It turns out that there are also predators among wasps. The peculiarity of the survival of these insects of the family of sand wasps of the order Hymenoptera is that they live at the expense of bees, in the literal sense of the word. Female bee wolves feed by attacking bees and drinking the nectar they collect. And the she-wolves take the bees themselves, paralyzed by wasp venom, to the nest to feed the larvae with their bodies. Male bee wolves feed on plant foods and do not pose a danger to the apiary.
Appearance of a bee wolf
Philanthus (also called the bee wolf) is an insect that grows up to 17 mm in length. The wasp's body color is bright yellow alternating with black. The abdominal part is yellow. There is more black color on the head and upper back. Females and males are different from each other. A distinctive sign, in addition to size, is also a crown-shaped pattern located on the head, between a pair of tentacles. Male bee wolves are smaller than females. In addition, males do not have a sting - only the female can bite.
Male bee wolves do not have a stinger. They simply have no use for it.
The lifestyle and behavior of the bee wolf in nature
Still, why was this wasp called the bee wolf? Perhaps because of her predatory and completely cunning hunting methods. This wasp eats...bees! Real bees, the same ones that make our favorite honey!
Why bee wolf? Yes, because it eats bees!
And it happens like this. Sensing the scent of a honey bee, the female bee wolf begins to pursue the victim. And having caught up with her, he attacks with lightning speed, paralyzing her with his poison. After such an attack, the bee is no longer able to resist and becomes the prey of the bee wolf. After the deadly wasp grabs the bee, it carries it to its nest. What's next? Is it possible that a wasp eats a bee? No - everything is much more complicated in this insect! The bee wolf places its eggs and larvae on the dying bee, which grow vigorously, feeding on “canned” bee meat. It’s not just a harmless wasp, but a real ferocious wolf!
What danger do these insects pose to humans?
Undoubtedly, the main thing is sabotage against bees. Due to the theft of the bee wolf, the number of honey bees in the hives is reduced, which can cause damage to the entire apiary.
In addition, the bee wolf wasp can sting a person painfully. At the site of the bite, irritation, burning and severe pain appear. But after 1-2 days, not a trace remains of the bite. Bee wolf venom is not dangerous to humans.
Sources:
https://medapaseka.ru/o-pchelah/pchelinyj-volk-ili-osa-filant.html https://fermer.blog/bok/pchelovodstvo/pchely/soderzhanie-pchel/problemy-pri-soderzhanii/8905-pchelinyj -volk.html https://animalreader.ru/osa-pchelinyiy-volk.html
