Vespidae
Quick Summary
The Vespidae family, commonly known as wasps, is a widespread group of insects within the order Hymenoptera. Wasps are characterized by their slender bodies, smooth legs with few hairs, and a narrow "waist" connecting the abdomen to the thorax.1
This family includes social wasps, such as hornets and yellow jackets, which live in colonies with a caste system of queens, drones, and workers. These social wasps build nests from a papery material made of chewed plant matter mixed with saliva. In contrast, the majority of wasp species are solitary, building individual nests and provisioning them with paralyzed insects or spiders for their larvae.12
While adult wasps may feed on nectar, their larvae typically consume insects or their hosts, depending on whether the species is predatory or parasitic.1
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