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wasp

(Encyclopedia) wasp, name applied to many winged insects of the order Hymenoptera, which also includes ants and bees. Most wasps are carnivorous, feeding on insects, grubs, or spiders. They have…

Wasps or Hornets?

The Question: What is the difference between a wasp and hornet? The Answer: Essentially, the term "hornet" (like "yellow jacket") refers to a…

ichneumon fly

(Encyclopedia) ichneumon flyichneumon flyĭkn&oomacr;ˈmən [key], common name for a family of insects, related to the wasps, whose larvae are parasitic on many other insects. Over 3,000 species of…

Aesop's Fables: The Wasp and the Snake

by Aesop The Dog and the WolfThe Eagle and the BeetleThe Wasp and the Snake A Wasp settled on the head of a Snake, and not only stung him several times, but clung obstinately to the head…

sting

(Encyclopedia) sting, in zoology, organ found in bees, many wasps, some ants, and in scorpions and sting rays, used defensively as well as to kill or paralyze prey. In the bee and the wasp the venom…

Lubbock, Sir John

(Encyclopedia) Lubbock, Sir JohnLubbock, Sir Johnlŭbˈək [key], 1834–1913, English banker, statesman, and naturalist. As a member of Parliament from 1870, he introduced many reform bills, especially…

bee-eater

(Encyclopedia) bee-eater, any of the brightly colored, insect-eating birds of the family Meropidae. They range in length from 6 to 14 in. (15–36 cm). The plumage of many species is predominantly…

Tinbergen, Nikolaas

(Encyclopedia) Tinbergen, Nikolaas, 1907–88, Anglo-Dutch zoologist, b. Netherlands. He received his Ph.D. in 1932 from the Univ. of Leiden, where he became professor of zoology in 1947. In 1949 he…

tachinid fly

(Encyclopedia) tachinid flytachinid flytăkˈənĭd [key], common name for any of the flies of the family Tachinidae, which parasitize caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, and other insects. Tachinid…