Wasp uterus - behavioral characteristics and life cycle of the founder of the colony

The uterus of the wasp is a sexually mature female, whose main mission is procreation, the continuous reproduction of offspring. The functions of the queen are not performed by the uterus in all species of wasps. The hierarchical structure is characteristic of social, paper wasps - vespina, polista and some other species. Sexually mature female solitary wasps live separately, each of them laying eggs.

face sitting

Wasps crawling over your face in a dream indicate the possible influence of some dark forces on you. And one more option - you are very worried about problems postponed “for later” that persistently require resolution. These may be unfinished or overly complex, confusing matters that, like a thorn, constantly remind you of themselves.

If wasps crawl all over your face, it means that your husband will return to the woman who is dreaming. If the wasps reach your eyes, they may start to intimidate you with something. If there is a wasp in your mouth, this is a warning: you are talking too much and this is simply attracting various troubles to yourself.

If there are a lot of wasps on your face, but they don’t bite, they just crawl, then you have the opportunity to improve your financial well-being.

Interpretation of the dream: “Crawling insects speak of the possibility of some dangerous disease” (“Dream Book of a Housewife”).

Eyes

The eyes are complex in structure and are always well developed. Between them there are three small eyes, which are arranged in the form of a triangle. But science knows species that are born completely blind or without the last small eyes.

The eyes are positioned so that the insect can see 180 degrees around itself. This structure is also called faceted. It perceives ultraviolet rays, the direction of polarization of light. Insects distinguish small details very poorly, but they have an excellent ability to see light blinking up to 300 Hz. For comparison, the human eye only perceives 50 Hz.

Compound eyes are motionless. They are located in recesses called capsules. They are surrounded by a ring of cuticle, holding them on the head. The eyes are located far from each other, on the sides of the head. But, thanks to three additional organs of vision, the insect sees a mosaic that forms a whole picture. Focusing, although not the same as that of a person, is sufficient to fix everything that is on the trajectory of movement. Three small additional eyes are very similar in structure to humans. There's even a pupil.

How to tell if a cat has been bitten by an insect

Wasps and bees fly into apartments, so a pet is not 100% protected from their bites anywhere, especially when the cat is playful and inquisitive. When a flickering dot appears in their field of vision, they strive to catch it or play with it. How can you tell if an animal has been bitten by a wasp or a bee?

What will immediately attract attention

• sudden loud, prolonged meowing;
• the cat will jump away or run away from the place where it was just;
• hisses, doesn’t let anyone near him, meows pitifully.

What else appears (immediately or after some time)

• visible painful swelling in a specific place, swelling, prolonged lameness (observed when a cat was bitten on the paw by a wasp);
• breathing problems, shortness of breath, wheezing;
• hives;
• increased saliva production;
• an increase not only in local temperature, but also in the temperature of the entire body;
• in rare cases, vomiting;
• feverish state, tachycardia (the heart begins to beat quickly, but weakly);
• signs of anaphylactic or toxic shock;
• cramps, involuntary urination;
• lack of coordination of movements;
• loss of consciousness.

Wasp uterus - behavioral characteristics and life cycle of the founder of the colony

Intrusive insects with a striped black and yellow abdomen are familiar to residents of cities and villages. They can be found in the garden, forest, vegetable garden or park. It is not uncommon for wasps to fly into an apartment, attracted by the smell of fruit, jam or fermented compote. In addition to the familiar insects belonging to the Vespidae family of true wasps, there are about a million different species.

All representatives of the order of stinging Hymenoptera (except for ants and bees) can be divided into two groups: solitary wasps and social species living in colonies. The queen wasp is the founder of the family and the center of the community. She is entrusted with the main function of procreation.

Characteristic features of the anatomical structure of wasps

Most insects cause fear in people. Despite the fact that not everyone is familiar with the anatomy of these unpleasant creatures, it is difficult to find a person who would not know whether a wasp has a sting. Many people have personally encountered this weapon; children and adults around the world often become victims of these creatures.

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that “wasps” is a collective name; they belong to the order Hymenoptera, a suborder of stingers. Wasps include insects such as:

• road;
• sparkles;
• paper;
• floral;
• real;
• scolias;
• Typhia;
• German wasps;
• burrowing, etc.

Various species of wasps have retained the basic features of their anatomy since ancient times. Insect samples found in amber clearly indicate this. However, this does not mean that these creatures are not diverse. These creatures can be found almost everywhere, since these small predators have all the necessary adaptations for obtaining food, as well as for self-defense. This is the reason for their success. All representatives of the suborder have a strictly segmented body, including the head, abdomen and chest. The fore wings of these creatures are very large, and the hind wings are reduced. This structure allows the wasp to maneuver better. All species of these dangerous insects have 3 pairs of limbs and sensitive antennae that can detect the slightest vibrations.

The abdomen of this creature is equipped with a sting. This is an extremely remarkable element of their anatomical structure, as it can be used both for hunting and for self-defense. As you know, their close relatives, bees, have a small hook at the end of their needle. Thus, during an insect attack, the sting remains in the body of the victim, and the victim itself can quickly die. At the same time, the main difference between a bee and a wasp, of course, is not this, but the way they feed and a number of organs that are a consequence of the species’ adaptation to food production. When considering the question of how a wasp differs from a bee, it is necessary to take into account the differences in color. The predator warns of its poison with a bright yellow and black outfit. Some species have a shiny shell, which is also very noticeable from afar and helps scare off most aggressors. The bee is covered with hairs necessary for collecting more pollen.

Wasps and hornets do not die when they use their weapons. Thus, they sting the enemy many times without harming themselves. However, this is not what makes the bite so painful. The wasp's sting is hollow inside, so at the moment of puncture the insect can inject a significant amount of poison. Bumblebees sting in a similar way, although they practically do not use their weapons to obtain food. Wasp eyes have only recently been studied. These creatures have color vision and can see ultraviolet rays. At night they sleep because they cannot see in the dark. All species have special notches on the tips of their paws.

European hornet

Wasp venom has a paralyzing effect on other insects. Another element of the body that makes this creature an extremely successful hunter is the thin waist between the body and abdomen. The element allows the creature to bend in half and sting already grabbed prey. Most species of these insects are distinguished by rather modest sizes, ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 cm. However, there are also real record holders. For example, the size of the world's smallest creatures of this species is only 0.5 mm. These tiny creatures are almost invisible and eat pollen. The largest wasp in the world was discovered relatively recently on the island of Sulawesi and was named Dalara garuda. Individuals of this species reach 7-9 cm in length. Some hornets reach 25 cm. These huge insects may differ only slightly from the more common small ones.

Description

Of course, we all know what a wasp looks like. But if you examine it at multiple magnifications, it may turn out that the exact structure of the body of this insect is not known to everyone.

Wasps belong to the order of stalked-bellied Hymenoptera insects. And indeed, if you look at her body, between the abdomen and the chest you can see a thin stalk, which is usually called the waist. It helps wasps attack their opponents and quickly kill prey - thanks to this waist, the body can easily be folded in half, which allows it to deliver deadly bites from any angle.

In addition to the chest and abdomen, the wasp's body also bears a head, crowned with movable antennae.

Considering the description of an insect such as a wasp, it is worth noting that it has powerful jaws called mandibles.

And despite the fact that these insects have a sting through which they can inject a poisonous secretion into the victim’s body, in most cases they use their jaws. This is due to the fact that the mandibles are powerful enough to crush the enemy’s chitinous cover without much difficulty.

Many people are interested in how fast a wasp flies. It is worth noting here that it is one of the slowest flying insects, as it can cover a maximum of 9 km in one hour. For this reason, striped creatures very often become victims themselves, since they do not have the opportunity to hide from the predator in time.

If we talk about color, it will depend on the species of the wasp. Moreover, these insects can be painted in a variety of colors. The most common color is a pattern of alternating yellow and black stripes. Flower wasps and some subspecies of paper wasps wear this pattern on their bodies. Other species may have a turquoise or purple chitinous hue, and some have deep black integuments.

But wasps are recognizable in any color. Moreover, some insect imitators took note of this feature. One of these insects is the hoverfly, which is quite difficult to distinguish from the ordinary striped wasp. This color allows it to very successfully evade predators.

About the wasp sting and its main weapon

I would like to dwell in more detail on such an organ as the sting. It is this that arouses the greatest interest among many and the question of how exactly wasps bite or whether they actually sting. As mentioned above, this insect bites with its powerful jaws and stings with stilettos located in the lower part of the abdomen. After the sting penetrates the enemy's body, the wasp injects poison. As a result, quite painful sensations arise, not because of the injection itself, but immediately after the secreted secretion penetrates the wound.

However, despite the fact that the wasp has the ability to use its sting several times in a row, in most cases, in order to drive away the enemy, only once is enough. It will sting repeatedly only when there is a serious threat, for example, when a person tries to destroy a nest.

Depending on the species, wasps have different concentrations of toxic components contained in the venom. But in any case, this mixture is quite dangerous and includes several substances, each of which works in its own way: one will cause an allergic reaction, another will cause cell destruction, the third will cause severe irritation of nerve endings, etc.

Nutrition

There are also differences in nutrition.

• Vegetarians include bees. They feed only on nectar and plant pollen.
• Wasps need to consume the proteins found in the larvae. They often eat flies and even beetles, which are sometimes larger. First they sting the victim to immobilize them. Then, wrapping their paws around them, they drag them into their nest. They crush weak opponents with their powerful jaws. Can be seen on pieces of rotten meat, fish, carrion. With their strong jaws they tear off small pieces, chew them and give them to their larvae. They love the juice of fresh, rotten fruits, vegetables, and berries. They love to enjoy sweet drinks, beer, and jam.

How else are these insects different? Being aggressive, wasps can enter the hive to snack on protein food. Although the owners of the hive actively defend themselves, they can expel uninvited guests out.

Coprophagous

Among others, obligate flies include some species of the family of true flies that live in pastures. These insects contribute to the breakdown of excrement in nature and are difficult to classify as pests or dangerous flies.

In the photo of a housefly, with macro magnification, you can clearly see all the details of the coloring. But when viewed with the naked eye, the fly looks gray.

This is a small insect with an average length of 7 mm. The color of house flies is gray with four longitudinal black stripes on the chest. The belly is yellowish on the underside. The eyes are large and dark red. faceted.

Nutrition

A housefly is an insect that is not capable of biting through human skin, although the female needs protein food to reproduce. This type of fly feeds only on liquid food. When finding solid pieces of organic matter, the housefly dissolves them in saliva before consuming them.

In this way she can “bite” a person. Trying to dissolve the skin with saliva, the fly causes sharp pain. An acid burn would cause similar sensations in us. But this leaves no traces on the body.

Prevention methods

The instructions are very simple, but effective. Following these rules will help preserve health and life:

The bite of a karakurt spider and its consequences are a serious test for the human body. Remember that spiders attack only when they disturb their nest or accidentally crush them

A careful inspection of the surrounding area and caution will help you avoid encountering such a poisonous creature.

Karakurt - compound name: “kara” - black, “kurt” - worm (from Turkic), scientific name - Latrodectus tredecimguttatus. The spider received another name “black widow” for its dark body color and instant eating of its partner after mating.

A special feature of this spider is the red-orange markings on the abdomen, sometimes bordered by a white outline.

Quite aesthetic in the photo, without fluff, which is typical for spider varieties, it does not necessarily cause a feeling of disgust or is capable of reminding of danger. As the animal ages, the spots may disappear, as for Eurasian females, unlike Australian and American ones, which are always spotted, so black spiders should be avoided in their regions.

A more detailed description of the spider: spherical abdomen, cephalothorax, four pairs of legs, two pairs of jaws. The upper jaws of the female end with hooks, on the other side of which there are poisonous glands. Sometimes a mature female has yellow stripes instead of red-orange dots. Body length is 1−2 cm, legs up to 3 cm.

One of the differences of the species is sexual dimorphism: the length of the female is related to the length of the male as 20:7 mm. It is not red hemoglobin (iron) that is responsible for hematopoiesis, but blue hemocyanin (copper), which is why black spiders have blue blood.

There is another type of karakurt - white. With the same physique as the black one, it does not have colorful colors, as you can see in the photo, but its bite is not so poisonous and is more often dangerous for children and the elderly.

Biology Edit

According to their lifestyle, adult scolias are predators, and larvae of all species are parasites.
They feed on beetle larvae living in the soil. To become an adult wasp, the Scolia larva must eat the host larva (as the victims of predatory wasps are called). But before she starts eating, the adult wasp must protect her. Most predatory wasps paralyze the prey before laying eggs, infecting its nerve centers with poison. The more of these are required from the wasp. For Scolia, such an operation is unacceptable: the host larva is surrounded by a dense environment, and it is impossible to run around it, choosing a place to strike.

There is only one way out - to find hosts that can be immobilized with a single blow of the sting. And what luck! As Fabre found out, among the many beetle larvae living in the soil, there appears to be a group that seems to be specially created for scolias. These are the so-called lamellar beetles. The main thoracic and abdominal nerve centers of their larvae are combined into one node and, therefore, can be affected by a single blow. Scolia began laying eggs on the larvae of rhinoceros beetles and horned beetles.

Large, up to 10 cm in length, similar to the larvae of cockchafers, the larvae of rhinoceros beetles live in damp, humus-rich or heavily manured places, for example, in half-rotten stumps, in loose soils of oak forests, in compost heaps. Having discovered such a larva, the female Scolia stings it in the lower part of the chest. The effect of the poison manifests itself very quickly, and now the paralyzed owner has forever lost the ability to move

This is the most important thing for the future Scolia larva, otherwise the owner’s movements will simply erase it on the soil

After making sure that the victim is motionless, the Scolia lays a tiny egg on it. Its newborn larva is also very small, only 2 mm in length, but it has sharp hooked jaws and, without hesitation, begins to gnaw at the integument of its owner with them. Having reached the soft tissues, the larva plunges its head into them and now will not remove it until it has eaten the entire host.

Depending on the temperature of the surrounding soil, this will take 5-12 days.

Moreover, the eating of a rhinoceros beetle larva occurs in a strictly defined sequence: first, the least important organs, such as muscles, blood, and fat body, are eaten, and only at the end comes the turn of the most important system—the nervous system. As a result, the paralyzed victim remains alive until the very last moment, and therefore suitable as food. Finally the victim is done

Having already moulted three times by that time, the Scolia larva fences itself off from the remains of its host with a mesh of cobwebs and begins to weave a cocoon. This takes a few more days, and then development stops. A period of rest begins, in which the wasp larva will remain throughout the cold season.

Finally, the victim is finished. Having already moulted three times by that time, the Scolia larva fences itself off from the remains of its host with a mesh of cobwebs and begins to weave a cocoon. This takes a few more days, and then development stops. A period of rest begins, in which the wasp larva will remain throughout the cold season.

Interesting facts from the life of wasps

Only a few specialists study the life functions of wasps. Thanks to them, a person can learn a lot of interesting things about these amazing creatures. For example:

• Baby wasps are a species of common wasps that live in families. The female grows up to 2 cm in length, and all other representatives of this species grow up to 1.8 cm.
• Tree wasps are distinguished by the fact that they have a predominant bright black and orange body color. Depending on the species, their size can range from 1 to 6 cm. The hornet also belongs to this family and is distinguished by its rather impressive dimensions. It is considered one of the most dangerous insects. The wasp synodica is also a tree wasp, but little is known about it.
• Asian hornets inhabit mainly China and Japan, where up to 50 people die from their stings every year, according to official data. The size of the insect is up to 5.6 cm. Its bite is enough to kill a person, especially an allergic person.
• Large spotted scolia are considered the most beautiful representatives of the wasp species. The female grows up to 5.5 cm in length, and the male - up to 3.2 cm. Scolia lay eggs on the body of cockchafers or rhinoceros beetles. They differ in that they live separately. It is considered a safe insect for humans, despite its impressive size. The result of a bite is a simple numbness of the bite site.
• Germans, no more than 3 cm in size. Females do not have wings and look like large ants. The female individual has quite bright colors, compared to the male representatives, who have more brown tones. They do not build their own nests, choosing hives of bees or nests of other wasps for their livelihoods.

There are a huge number of species of Hymenoptera on the planet, and each species has its own unique characteristics.

BEE

The Belgian poet and playwright, Nobel Prize winner in 1911, Maurice Maeterlinck called bees “zealous workers who begin their work in the dazzling radiance of the sun and complete it in darkness.” Bees are the first insects from which humans began to benefit. Since ancient times, bees have been bred to produce wax, honey, propolis and other bee products. Bees live in large families. A bee colony consists of worker bees, drones and a queen. The queen (sometimes there may be several of them) gives life to all generations of the bee family. Wild bees build nests in the ground - on steep river banks, in the hollows of old trees, even in empty snail shells. Bee nests consist of cells - honeycombs. Worker bees fill the honeycombs with a mixture of pollen and nectar - food for the future larva. The queen then lays an egg there and the worker bees seal the cell. The eggs hatch into male bees—drones—and female bees—worker bees and queen bees. Worker bees perform different duties in the nest. They collect nectar and pollen from plants and bring them to the nest; build new honeycombs, care for the larvae and feed them; They protect and clean the nest, feed the queen with special highly nutritious food - milk. The same milk feeds the larvae from which future queens grow.

Each bee has a sting in the back of its body. Once a bee sticks the tip of its stinger into the skin, it is not so easy to remove. After a sting, the bee dies: the sting remains inside the victim, and the bee cannot live without it. The ancient Slavs, in addition to hunting and farming, collected honey and wax from wild bees - beekeeping. The Slavs hollowed out hollows in trees and settled bee colonies in them. Such trees were called berms, and the forest area was called beet land. The forest area was reduced. Beekeeping gave way to log beekeeping. A hollow was cut out of a log log, then the log was attached to a tree. Later, the decks began to be placed directly on the ground. The plot of land where the logs stood was called an apiary, and the logs were called hives. Since then, a new branch of agriculture has appeared - beekeeping. RIDDLE If you drank tea with honey, you are very familiar with it. The Hardworking One collected a lot of honey... (bee) FOLK SIGNS • When the bees fly to their hives, it will soon rain. • Bees sitting on the walls of the hive mean intense heat.

Vespina

The most organized species of wasps belong to this subfamily. They are distinguished by complex behavior and nest architecture. Insects are distributed throughout Europe, Russia, northern Africa, America and Australia. A distinctive feature of representatives of the Vespin family is a large number of hairs on the body and the shape of the abdomen, chopped off at the base. A colony is characterized by the presence of only one queen. This is a fertilized overwintered female. The differences between the castes in the family are very distinct; the size of the wasp uterus is one and a half times larger than that of the working individuals.

Socket device

Queens establish nests in shelters (natural or built by humans). The building material is bark removed from branches and rotten stumps. With strong jaws, the female scrapes off wood fibers. Having gathered them into a ball, she flies to the place where the nest is built. The fibers are chewed again and abundantly moistened with saliva. The wasp attaches the lump to the wall and carefully stretches it into a strip. A protective wall is formed from many strips fastened together.

Paper wasps build two types of nests:

• gymnodom - with open honeycombs;
• calyptodomous - structures that have a protective shell.

The construction of a vespin nest occurs in several stages. At first it resembles a bowl in shape, and then a sphere. In spring, the structure is so small that the queen cannot accommodate herself in it; at night she settles on the stem of the nest. Protective shells are created one above the other; when the structure expands, the inner shells are chewed off.

Interesting fact. A constant temperature of +30 0 is maintained inside the nest. When necessary, wasps vibrate their muscles to spread heat. The paper from which the structure is made is a good heat insulator, so temperature fluctuations do not exceed half a degree. To cool their homes, insects bring drops of water.

Hexagonal honeycombs are arranged horizontally, and the wasp larvae hang upside down in them. The number of tiers ranges from 3 to 10. The first honeycombs are built by the queen herself; after the appearance of working individuals, she stops foraging. The queen's solitary residence lasts 1 month. When working females grow up, all concerns about food and nest building pass to the offspring. Adult vespins feed on flower nectar, sweet syrup, and juice of ripe fruits. For the larvae and queen, they catch insects - flies, beetles, caterpillars, slugs, butterflies. Wasps chew off the hard body parts of their prey and bring the fleshy part back to the nest.

There is a strict distribution of responsibilities between the working individuals - some bring food for the queen and larvae, others guard the colony and care for the growing offspring. On hot days, insects vibrate their wings for ventilation. After the young individuals leave the honeycombs, the cells are prepared for a new egg.

Interesting fact. The first generation of wasps are sterile females; they are noticeably smaller in size than other working individuals. Scientists attribute this fact to an insufficient amount of food, because the queen alone took care of feeding.

Vespins live in huge families, including thousands of individuals. Their nest is constantly expanding by adding new honeycombs, suspended from a central leg. The wasps lay eggs in the cells, from which larvae emerge a week later. By mid-summer, males and hundreds of young females appear in large cells, ready for fertilization.

The mating season occurs in August-September. At this time, the wasps are excited and often aggressive. Anyone who approaches their nest will be attacked mercilessly. After mating, the males die, and the old queen will also not survive the next winter. Young fertilized queens find shelter for the winter. The life cycle of the Vespin queen is 1 year, workers live 1-2 months. Some species of Hymenoptera insects are active until the beginning of winter. Working females of the common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) and the German wasp live in the nest until cold weather.

Interesting fact. The subfamily Vespinae includes 67 species, 23 of which are hornets, the largest representatives of European wasps.

Polists

The subfamily Polistinae is the most numerous and diverse. They are also representatives of paper wasps, the largest family that has spread throughout the world. It has about 1000 species, of which 30 are found in Russia. These insects began to use paper much earlier than humans. Most Polist species use chewed pieces of tree bark and various plant fibers to build nests.

Information. Polists are the most studied subfamily of social wasps. This is facilitated by their peaceful nature and open nest structure.

Do Polist wasps have a queen? Yes, sometimes even several. Polists do not differ in a specific division of functions between working individuals. They are an interesting intermediate link between primitive and highly organized insects. During the period of nest construction, the female is often joined by other fertilized queens. When the time comes for reproduction, a fight breaks out between them for the opportunity to lay eggs. Only one will achieve this right. Semisocial relations, characteristic of primitive development, are replaced by eusocial behavior. The uterus of the Poles is slightly larger than the size of working females; in some species the difference is 14-15% of body length.

Information. Eusociality is the servicing of individuals with reproductive functions by sterile family members.

The foundation of a nest by several queens is not typical for all species of Poles. For some, this behavior is a constant occurrence, for others it is never observed.

Nest construction

In April, when consistently warm weather sets in with temperatures above +140, young queens fly out of the shelter in search of a place to build a new home. With strong jaws, they chew off the top layer of tree bark, used as building material. When wood and saliva are mixed, a pulp of semi-liquid consistency is obtained. From it the uterus molds the cells and walls of the structure. After drying, the resulting material looks like rough gray paper.

Usually the honeycombs are suspended on paper pulp stalks. The place for the nest is a tree branch, hollow, crevice, earthen hole or human buildings. Paper wasps can take a liking to the attic, chimney, or just a beam under the roof. This neighborhood becomes dangerous as the number of stinging insects increases. Open honeycombs without a protective shell are located in two ways:

• horizontally, cells down;
• vertically - the cells and larvae in them are located perpendicular to the ground.

Development and feeding of larvae

The queen lays her eggs in empty cells to prevent them from falling out; the queen uses a sticky secretion for gluing. Each cell is filled with an egg as construction is completed. The development of the offspring, including several moults, occurs in 2-3 weeks. The larvae are approximately the same length as the adult, but are much thicker. They are all white or yellowish in color and lack legs. Their digestive organs are not adapted to plant foods. The queen, and then the working females, feed them fermented protein foods.

Interesting fact. Small larvae feed on the crop secretions of the uterus.

What do wasps feed their larvae? The diet is wide, it includes various types of insects (flies, butterflies, beetles) and pieces of meat or fish that females find during flights. Carnivorous larvae cannot chew themselves, so they end up with lumps of “minced meat.” The wasps hold a lump of food near the larva's head for 8-10 seconds, the remainder goes to feed the next larva. Having reached a certain stage, the larvae close the cell with a lid and pupate. In a few days a new wasp will appear.

Information. The larvae of hornets and some other types of wasps scratch at their cells when hungry. This sound becomes a signal for working individuals that it is time to go hunting.

Feeding in social wasps is not a one-way process. The larvae regurgitate drops of liquid, which are licked off by the worker insects. This interaction is called traphallaxis. It helps insects exchange information and survive in the absence of food.

Information. Queens often die during the rearing of the first generation of wasps. Left without care, the larvae die of starvation.

Caring for offspring

Another feature of wasps is their bias towards certain offspring. Researchers from Japan's Kyushu University studied 47 paper wasp nests to understand how a queen protects her offspring. According to scientists, at the initial stage the queen builds much more reliable protective fortifications for the more developed larvae, and pays much less attention to her less developed offspring. This behavior is completely justified, because the faster the first adults appear, the greater the chances of survival for the entire colony. According to the study, only 13 of 47 colonies were able to survive until the first adults emerged.

Answering the question of how long wasps live is not so easy. First of all, you need to define this concept itself in order to know exactly what we are talking about.

Answering the question of how long wasps live is not so easy.

This concept is to some extent abstract and conditional, despite the fact that when hearing the word “wasps” everyone has the same associations. In biology, this group includes all insects belonging to the order Hymenoptera and the suborder Stalk-bellied. In addition to wasps, there are bees and ants.

These names speak for themselves. Solitary wasps lead a solitary life, not even forming families. This leaves its mark on their life cycle. It is simplified, and all adults, having reached a sexually mature state, can reproduce.

Social insects always form a system. It can be called a family, a confederation, a pack, but in any case it will be a system with well-functioning self-organization mechanisms. The social wasp is an insect that resembles bees in its lifestyle. These species also live in extended families and build substantial shelters. Their individuals are divided not only by gender, but also by function. Social wasps, like bees, are divided into females, males and sterile female workers. The life of males in social species is always short. And the growth of the family is ensured by only one female, called the queen.

What to do if there is no uterus

There is no queen in the hive, what should I do? This question interests new beekeepers.

In most cases, the family is left without a queen if she does not return home during the mating period. The reasons may be different:

• Damage to wings;
• She mistakenly entered the wrong hive and died;
• She flew away with the oncoming swarm.

Queenless families are identified by their behavior. Bees run chaotically along the walls and hide from the smoke between the honeycombs. So how to fix the situation?

What to do?

If the queen has recently been lost, but there is a queen cell in the hive, then the problem will soon resolve itself.

If there is no seeding or queen cell, you need to look for the queen by examining all the frames.

The queen has been found, but the absence of seeding indicates that she has not yet had time to seed. If the queen bee is not found, then you need to take a frame with one-day seeding from another hive. In this case, the bees will raise their own queen. Or put a frame with a ready-made queen cell and wait for a royal individual to hatch from it.

Beekeeping is an amazing activity, but it requires a lot of effort and attention. In order for order to reign in the bee colony, you need to monitor the presence of a queen in the family. Otherwise, the situation needs to be urgently corrected to prevent the death of working women.

Types of queen bees

Based on the method of breeding, there are several types of queen bees. The beekeeper has nothing to do with the appearance of swarming and fistula queens - they appear naturally. But a person can, if necessary, provoke the removal of the uterus of a quiet shift.

Swarmers

The bee colony resorts to breeding a swarm queen if the number of young animals exceeds the “vacancies” in the hive. This usually happens between late May and mid-July. When swarming bowls appear, the beekeeper can notice preparations for swarming - the bees lay them on the edges of the combs. Read about how to prevent swarming here.

The family, having established swarm queen cells, stops rearing larvae and does not build honeycombs. In the first swarm that emerges there is an old queen who has lost her former egg production. The volume of her ovaries decreases, as does her weight, so she can fly (when the uterus lays eggs, she is not able to fly).

In the swarm queen cell there are cells with future queen bees. There may be several swarms. As soon as the young queen emerges from the queen cell, the next swarm is ready to leave the hive along with the barren queen. When swarming ends, the bees, having removed the queen cells, begin to do their usual things.

The swarm queen, emerging from the cell, makes a flight on the third day. She makes several flights, and each time she moves further and further away from the hive. The queen bee remembers the area, the hive, its location - so that after mating she can return to her native hive. The flight may last several minutes or several hours.

Rescue or fistula

If the queen bee dies, the bees quickly detect the loss - a loud hum, similar to a howl, arises. The insects drop everything and rush in search of the queen. Realizing that the queen has irretrievably disappeared, the bees quickly begin to raise a new mistress of the hive. They begin to feed the larvae exclusively with royal jelly. Ordinary larvae receive it for only two days, and then they are fed with a mixture of honey and beebread.

After 16 days of fattening, approximately two dozen queens are hatched. The first thing they do is kill each other with their stings. There should only be one left - the strongest. Uteruses produced in this way are called fistulous. Their disadvantage is a low level of egg production. Beekeepers usually replace fistulous queens with swarming or quiet-shift queen bees.

Quiet shift

The old queen quietly, without unnecessary noise and stress for the bee family, is preparing a replacement for herself. Having laid the egg in a special cell, the queen continues her quiet life, and the bees continue to do their usual things.

After 16 days, a new “queen” of the hive appears. Without any doubt, she immediately kills her parent. Removal of the silent shift uterus occurs in two cases:

• the situation is provoked by the beekeeper;
• the queen bee is old or sick.

The queens of the quiet shift are of high quality - they are the most worthy hostesses of the hive.

Species diversity

The varieties of these thin-waisted insects are surprising in their heterogeneity. After all, besides the classic striped wasp, which flies everywhere and doesn’t seem to be afraid of anyone, there are other species. Some of them are not very similar to their counterparts.

Wasps in Russia are no less diverse than similar insects in other regions. It is not possible to describe all types here, but typical and unusual types can be:

1. Flower wasp. This solitary insect leads the lifestyle of a bee. Representatives of this group are very small in size - no more than 1 cm. This insect is colored like a typical black and yellow wasp. The flower wasp got its name because it feeds on pollen and nectar. She even has a long proboscis, which is so convenient for drinking nectar. However, this wasp does not carry pollen on legs, like bees, but in the crop.
2. Sand wasps. These insects got their name based on their lifestyle. They dig their burrows in the ground, mostly sandy. All burrowing insects are characterized by the presence of a large head and hypertrophied jaws. Sand wasps are no exception. They look scary, but their danger to humans is not great. It is practically a black wasp and only the abdomen has yellow or grayish stripes. For their ability to deliver precise blows to an enemy larger than them, these wasps are commonly called cicada killers.
3. German wasp, or German wasp. They are sometimes confused with ants because the female wasps do not have wings. Because of this terrestrial lifestyle, German women are sometimes called velvet ants. This name is due to the fact that the body of females is covered with hairs, which evokes an association with velvet. These wasps also differ in color - they are bright red with black spots. This is also a kind of warning coloring, because these insects also have poison. However, the male is predominantly black or brown with red spots. These wasps invade other people's burrows, laying their eggs there. The hatched larvae feed on the host's eggs. After leaving the nest, they drink nectar from flowers or juice from insect corpses. So the dark wasp on the flower is a male or a young female.

There is also a species called the wasp fly. In fact, it is really a fly, but it is colored like a wasp or a bee. This cunning fly can be distinguished by the absence of a thin waist. In addition, she has only two pairs of wings, which is a typical fly feature. So this fly does not have the structure of a wasp, it mimics only the color of its body.

Otherwise, this fly is called a hoverfly. This insect received this name for the characteristic murmuring sound made by its wings while hovering over a flower. These flies feed on pollen and nectar. They have no poison, but the birds don’t touch them because they don’t understand entomology at all. This wasp-like fly enjoys all the benefits of stinging insects, which is also beneficial for plants, since the hoverfly is a good pollinator.

Hive life

Each species of individuals living in one hive strictly fulfills the duties assigned to it. This is also facilitated by the constant cyclicity in the life processes of the wasp swarm, which is impossible without the participation of the wasp queen.

End of summer

In the second half of summer, the hive begins to fade, and the royal wasp that built it ends its life cycle.

Beginning of autumn

In the fall, the worker wasps, who had been hardworkingly feeding the growing larvae and the wasp queen all summer and actively building and protecting the home, cease to exist. All these individuals are female, but due to their sterility they perform the role of “service personnel”.

At this point, from the last larvae laid by the queen aspen, female females appear, capable of reproducing offspring. The males that hatched before this fulfill their direct mission and also die after fertilization.

Interesting! The fertilization process, occurring once in the fall, is sufficient for the birth of larvae throughout the next summer.

Late fall

Future queen wasps leave the hive, hide under the bark of trees or in the cracks of old wooden buildings and fall asleep in their secret shelters until the onset of warm spring days. A dormant wasp can be found in attics and basements, in abandoned hollows and earthen holes.

Future wasp queens

Attention! If a wasp nest is discovered in a utility room in winter, it can be eliminated without the threat of wasp attack. During this period, there are no longer insects in it. After destroying the nest, the surface should be thoroughly treated with special means. This will help avoid unwanted proximity to insects who want to build a new hive near the old, “habitated” place.

Spring

A safely overwintered wasp flies out into the air in the spring in search of a suitable place to build its hive.

In forests and fields, a nest may appear in the branches of an old tree or in the bushes of tall herbaceous plants.

If for some reason the queen wasp chose a place closer to people, then the nest may appear on the balcony or under the windowsill of an apartment building.

Early summer

Endowed by nature, like all wasps, with powerful jaws, the queen wasp carefully chews the wood particles she extracts, turning them into building material for a new home.

Vespiary

The bulk of the building material depends on the living conditions of the wasp family. In areas rich in different tree species, construction is carried out using bark and wood chips. Such nests look like a large dusty ball of wool or a paper cocoon. In natural areas with a poor supply of woody vegetation, clay grains of sand, particles of limestone, and in some cases crumbs from dried manure are used.

Construction begins with the creation of several small spherical cells, in each of which the wasp lays a larva. Construction is progressing at an alarmingly fast pace. Sometimes a little more than a day passes from the beginning of the process to its completion.

Important! The final size of the hive is determined by the number of insects living in it.

The number of swarms amounts to tens of wasps, and sometimes thousands of individuals. The dwelling, which initially looks like a walnut shell, may end up being the size of a bucket.

Feeding

At this stage, the queen has to simultaneously build a house, erect new premises, continue to lay larvae in them and obtain food for them.

For full development, the larvae subsequently require a lot of food.

At first, feeding consists of plant substances rich in sugars. They are found in many flowers and fruits and are collected in the surrounding nature or on the table of people living in the neighborhood.

Nephila - the most gigantic spiders in the world, weaving webs

Translated from Latin, the word Nefila means “one who loves to weave.” This name is given to the oldest species of spider known today. The size of their body is not amazing - it does not exceed 4 centimeters. But the leg span of the largest individuals reaches 15 centimeters, which makes Nephil the largest of the spiders capable of weaving a web.

The distribution area of ​​various species of these spiders is huge. They are found in Australia, South America, Asia and Africa.

The networks that these skilled craftsmen “weave” have truly incredible properties. Exceptionally durable and sticky lace with a characteristic golden tint can cover areas of up to two meters. Their strength is so great that they are able to capture and hold even a bat, a small snake or a bird.

The rather strong venom of Nephila spiders is dangerous for people, especially those prone to allergies, but it does not lead to death. Characteristic symptoms - redness of the skin, blisters and pain - usually disappear within a day from the moment of the bite.

Social structure

In winter, wasps hibernate under tree bark, fallen leaves, and in their nests. The nests are located in secluded corners. In the spring, the queens fly out and look for a new place to build nests. Nests are needed so that the wasp can reproduce and increase the size of the colony. Tree bark, small pebbles and other natural building materials are used in the construction of nests.

The first offspring are sterile individuals. They subsequently continue building the nest and provide food for the queen, caring for the offspring. At the end of summer, the queen produces a new brood, which is also capable of breeding. Once the females have been fertilized, they look for a place to spend the winter. Males die quickly.

Ground wasp

Most predatory wasps live in the ground. Only a few do not rebuild their nests at all, settling in natural openings. Single individuals prefer to lay eggs in separate cells, which is not typical for social ones. There is no connection between the larvae and adult insects of solitary wasps. Once clogged, the larvae survive on their own. A remarkable fact is that the male larvae are placed in smaller cells. From this we can conclude that males are smaller than females.

Solitary individuals build more interesting nests than social ones. These include: Burrowing wasps, otherwise called Sphecidae. They build nests in protected corners. These are mainly places on the side of the house walls. Flower wasps, otherwise called Masarinae, build their homes in exactly the same way.

Sunset

With the approach of autumn, not only the warm period comes to an end, but also the life cycle of most of the inhabitants of the wasp's nest. The released males and females begin to mate. After this, the hornets die, just like the male representatives of bees.

Meanwhile, the queen weakens and begins to lay fewer and fewer eggs, then stops the reproductive cycle altogether. Having lost her fertility, she loses her vitality and becomes weak. The decrepit insect does not receive food: the worker wasps themselves begin to die.

Parasites take up residence in an empty nest, often causing the death of the remaining inhabitants. Either the approaching frosts will take their toll; in any case, only young queens will survive the coming winter.

Lifestyle, main functions

The behavior of a fertile female and the lifestyle of different species of the wasp family differ, but the main mission - prolongation of the genus - remains the same.

Single queens

They are active in early spring – the mating season begins. Eggs begin to be laid in summer. Before this, they live for their own pleasure - collecting nectar from plants, drinking juices of fruits and berries. They do not form multi-tiered nests; they dig holes in the ground for laying eggs.

The queen prepares the nest in light, easy-to-digging soil. The depth reaches 5 cm; a single cell is located at the bottom.

In this way, the queen provides the larva with separate housing and food. At the end of the cycle, pupation occurs. In the pupal state, the larva overwinters; in the spring, young females and males independently emerge to the surface, and the mating process begins.

Public vespins

The Wasp Queen is the founder of a large family, within which there is a clear hierarchy. The majority of the society consists of working individuals - immature females. They build a nest, provide protection, look for food, and feed the larvae.

Queen wasp of public vespins

The young queen lays the foundation of a nest in a favorable location. Initially forms a leg, then lays out the honeycomb. An egg is laid in each cell. After 3-4 days, sedentary larvae appear, which need to be fed for 2 weeks. The queen hunts spiders and insects, since the cubs require protein food. Chews, forms balls, gives to larvae.

At the end of the cycle, the larva pupates, after 2-3 days a working individual appears, to which the queen entrusts all responsibilities for building the nest, searching for food, and caring for the larvae. She herself becomes the queen of the family, only laying eggs.

In August, large honeycombs are built near the nest, where special eggs are placed. From them a generation of young sexually mature females and males appears. They live in the nest for some time, come out in the fall, and mating occurs. With the onset of cold weather, working individuals die, females find refuge in wood for wintering.

Paper sheets

They occupy an intermediate place between primitive solitary wasps and social vespins. There may be several mature queens in one nest, but only one plays the role of queen. The rest help her increase the population size. The number of hives reaches several hundred individuals. Otherwise, the functions of the uterus are identical to vespins.

The birth of a new generation of hornets

In winter, insects fall into a state akin to torpor. At the same time, the functions and all processes of the body slow down. At the beginning of spring, females awaken and begin vigorous activity aimed at creating a new nest. First, the wasp must gain strength and replenish the body with nutrients. To do this, she eats intensively for several days. If the female finds thawed last year's vegetables and fruits, she feeds on them, but usually her diet consists of meat food - other insects.

All larvae (including young queens) are fed exclusively on meat food - other insects

At the next stage, the uterus looks for a suitable place for oviposition. The nest is often formed on tree branches or in a hollow. It is the queen who lays the first honeycombs, the material for which is chewed young tree bark. This is where the queen lays her eggs. In parallel, the construction of the dwelling continues, however, the female does not build a large nest; later, the formed offspring complete the construction of new floors and honeycombs.

Procuring food for the younger generation at the initial stage is also the task of the uterus. She brings insects to the wasp's house. It must be said that from the moment she awakens after wintering until the appearance of the first generation of hornets, the female is very active and solves all problems herself. When adult individuals grow from the larvae, they take over all the functions of ensuring the life of the family. From this moment on, the female stops flying, only lays new eggs and is considered the queen of the nest.

In the photo - an old hornet queen

Communication between hornets inside their home is realized through odors, which are perceived as signals. The task of the workers is to protect the queen, provide her with food, and take care of the new generation of insects. All these functions are performed harmoniously precisely thanks to the ability to communicate at the level of odor signals.

The home of the common hornet can reach a length of 70-80 cm and weigh up to 10 kg.

Main functions of the queen

What does the uterus do? The insect spends its entire short life working. First, alone, she will have to begin building a shelter for the future colony. To accumulate strength, she must receive good nutrition. To do this, the insect, waking up from hibernation, hunts and looks for the remains of last year's harvest. Having fed on flies, ants and last year's berries, it chooses a suitable place for the nest. It could be a hollow tree, a rock, an abandoned barn, or even a residential building where careless owners forgot to close the window. It’s amazing how large individual wasp nests can reach by the end of summer – weighing up to several kilograms, ten centimeters in length.

Young bark becomes the material for the nest: by chewing it, the queen wasp obtains building material for the honeycomb. Having laid the first eggs there, she continues to work. But this does not last long - only until the first working individuals appear. It is they who are engaged in expanding the nest further, and the uterus is now responsible only for procreation.

Anatomy

Parts of the uterus

Anatomical preparation

sagittal

section of the uterus after recent childbirth

Photograph of a woman's uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries during surgery. View from the fundus of the uterus, outer surface

The uterus consists of the following parts:

• Fundus of the uterus
  - This is the upper convex part of the uterus, protruding above the line where the fallopian tubes enter the uterus.
• The body of the uterus
  is the middle (larger) part of the organ, has a cone shape.
• Cervix
  - The lower, narrowed, rounded part of the uterus.
• Uterine appendages
  - fallopian tubes, ovaries, ovarian appendages

The lower part of the cervix protrudes into the vaginal cavity, therefore it is called the vaginal part

, and the upper part of the cervix, lying above the vagina, is called
the supravaginal part
.
Between the cervix and the body is the isthmus of the uterus
. The vaginal part of the cervix bears the opening of the uterus, leading from the vagina into the canal of the cervix and continuing into its cavity. In nulliparous women, the opening of the uterus has a round or oval shape, and in women who have given birth, it has the shape of a transverse slit. The thick edges of the vaginal part of the cervix, limiting the external opening, are called lips - anterior and posterior. The posterior lip is thinner, the vaginal wall is attached to it higher than to the anterior lip.

Surfaces of the uterus

The uterus has anterior and posterior surfaces. The anterior surface of the uterus, facing the bladder, is called the bladder

, and the back one, facing the rectum, is
intestinal
. The vesical and intestinal surfaces of the uterus are separated from each other by the right and left edges, to which the fallopian tubes approach at the junction of the body with the fundus. The upper corners of the uterine cavity narrow in the form of funnel-shaped depressions into which the uterine openings of the tubes open.

Adjacent organs

Structure of the uterine wall

The wall of the uterus consists of three layers:

• Perimetry
  (
  Serous membrane
  ) - is a direct continuation of the serous cover of the bladder. Over a large area of ​​the anterior and posterior surfaces and fundus of the uterus, it is tightly fused with the myometrium; At the border of the isthmus, the peritoneal cover is attached loosely.
• Myometrium
  (
  Muscular membrane
  ) - the thickest layer of the uterine wall, consists of three layers of smooth muscle fibers with an admixture of fibrous connective tissue and elastic fibers;
  External longitudinal
  (
  subserosal
  ) - with longitudinally located fibers and in a small amount with circular ones, as was said, tightly fused with the serous cover.
• The middle circular
  layer is the thickest layer, most strongly developed in the cervical area. It consists of rings located in the area of ​​the tube angles perpendicular to their axis, in the area of ​​the uterine body in a circular and oblique direction. This layer contains a large number of vessels, mainly venous, which is why it is also called the vascular layer.
• The internal longitudinal
  (
  submucosal
  ) is the thinnest, with longitudinally running fibers.

Cervix

Cervix (vaginal part). View from the vagina

This is a relatively narrow segment of the uterus, the wall of which consists primarily of dense collagen tissue and only a small amount of smooth muscle and elastic tissue. The cervical canal is flattened, and its mucous membrane consists of a tall columnar epithelium that produces mucus, and the connective tissue lamina propria, which is a fibrous connective tissue containing cells. On the front and back surfaces of the canal there are two longitudinal ridges and smaller palm-shaped folds extending from them at an acute angle. Contacting each other at the confluence of the canal, palm-shaped folds prevent the penetration of contents from the vagina into the uterine cavity. In addition to ridges and folds, the canal contains numerous branching tubular glands. The vaginal part of the cervix is ​​covered with squamous non-keratinizing epithelium, which usually extends a short distance into the cervical canal, where it becomes the characteristic columnar epithelium. Thus, in mature girls and women, the border between the transition of columnar epithelium into flat non-keratinizing epithelium - the histological border - corresponds to the external os of the cervix. In girls under 21 years of age, the cylindrical epithelium can descend below the border of the external os and extend onto the vaginal part of the cervix, creating a picture of cervical erosion, so such a diagnosis is untenable in young people due to natural anatomical features.

Ligaments of the uterus

Ligaments and peri-uterine spaces, view from the upper opening of the pelvis

Along the edges of the uterus, the sheets of peritoneum, covering its vesical and intestinal surfaces, come together and form the right and left broad ligaments of the uterus

(lat. lig. latum uteri).
The broad ligament of the uterus
consists of two layers of peritoneum - anterior and posterior.
The right and left broad ligaments of the uterus
are directed to the lateral walls
of the small pelvis
, where they pass into
the parietal layer
of the peritoneum.
In the free upper edge of the broad ligament of the uterus
, between its leaves,
the fallopian tube
.
Somewhat below the attachment to the uterus of the fallopian tube and the ovarian ligament

the round ligament of the uterus
(lat. lig. teres uteri)
originates from the anterolateral surface of the uterus This ligament is a dense fibrous cord of round shape, 3-5 mm thick, containing muscle bundles and located between the leaves of the broad ligament of the uterus
.
The round ligament of the uterus
is directed downward and anteriorly to
the deep opening of the inguinal canal
, passes through it and, in the form of separate fibrous bundles, is woven into the subcutaneous tissue of the labia majora and pubic eminence, without attaching to the pubic symphysis.
The rectouterine ligament
(lat. lig. rectouterinum), lying in the right and left rectouterine folds and including fibers
of the rectouterine muscle
(lat. m. rectouterinus), connects
the cervix
with the lateral surfaces of the rectum and then with the medial surface of the sacrum [2].
At the base of the broad ligaments of the uterus,
between the uterus and the walls of the pelvis, lie bundles of fibrous fibers and muscle cells that form
the cardinal ligaments
of the uterus (lat. lig. cardinalium).
With their lower edges, the cardinal ligaments
connect to the fascia of the urogenital diaphragm and keep the uterus from lateral displacement.

Vessels and nerves of the uterus

Arteries of the uterus

The blood supply to the uterus occurs due to the paired uterine artery and branches of the internal iliac artery. Each uterine artery passes along the lateral edge of the uterus between the leaves of the broad ligament of the uterus, giving off branches to its anterior and posterior surfaces. Near the fundus of the uterus, the uterine artery divides into branches leading to the fallopian tube and ovary. Venous blood flows into the right and left uterine venous plexuses, from which the uterine vein originates, as well as veins draining into the ovarian, internal iliac veins and venous plexuses of the rectum .

Lymphatic vessels from the fundus of the uterus are directed to the lumbar lymph nodes, from the body and cervix to the internal iliac lymph nodes, as well as to the sacral and inguinal lymph nodes.

The uterus is innervated from the inferior hypogastric plexus along the pelvic splanchnic nerves.

Peacocks

A popular decorative breed in the world, which received its unusual name due to the shape of the tail. All varieties of this pigeon breed are distinguished by their elegant tails.

In the luxurious tail you can count up to 40 long feathers, collected in a peacock fan. The lush feathering on the legs adds integrity to the original image. In appearance, they are really very similar to peacocks.

The chest is proudly pushed forward, there is a crest on the head, and the wings are beautifully folded along the massive, rounded body. Due to their unusual appearance, these birds are most often depicted on posters as doves of peace.

11

How to determine which queen cell is fistulous or swarming

Designed to breed a swarm “queen” who will lead a swarm separated from the family. An emergency measure. In case the queen bee cannot cope with the main function of reproducing offspring.

Construction takes place on the edge of the honeycomb. Formation begins with a round bowl. There are structures built on the plane of a honeycomb. Cocoons are located in ordinary cells. During the development of the larvae, they artificially expand to the desired size.

First of all, the bee queen cell is rebuilt, and before swarming begins, the queen lays an egg. They are formed on ordinary honeycombs, with already existing eggs from the previous parent.

Exceeds the fistula type in terms of volume. The dimensions depend on the presence of food in it. The shape resembles a huge acorn. It is small in size. Looks like an elongated protrusion on the cell.

Recycled materials – darkened wax – are used as construction material. Therefore, the color of the structure is rich brown. They are distinguished by their snow-white color. Since the cells were built urgently from fresh material.

Human interaction

Wasp stings are familiar to many people. These are quite aggressive insects that attack immediately in primary dangerous situations. Hornets are distinguished by the fact that they behave less aggressively towards humans, but are capable of attacking if they feel a danger to themselves or their relatives.

Wasps and hornets: why are their stings dangerous?

Wasp

Small Hymenoptera often end up in the possession of people. They are attracted by food supplies. They freely enter living spaces through open windows, but only bite if they feel that something is threatening them.

A swarm attack is especially dangerous for humans. Wasps are distinguished by the fact that they can sting 2-3 times in a minute. They stick a stinger under a person's skin and inject a poisonous substance into it. If a large amount of poison enters the victim’s systemic bloodstream at the same time, the consequences can be very unpredictable.

Hornet

The behavior of hornets differs due to their taste preferences. They love sweets (honey, sugar, fruits, berries). But they behave less aggressively towards people. Insects attack only if they see a real danger to themselves or their relatives. Taking care of the larvae, they kill insects, caterpillars, and spiders.

Compared to a wasp sting, hornets are different in that they sting less painfully, but also provoke an allergic reaction. The victim experiences swelling, hyperemia of the bitten area, pain, and a local increase in temperature. And in an allergy sufferer, the condition is characterized by nausea, vomiting, general loss of strength and breathing problems.

Landing

Thanks to its decorative properties and the ability to easily cross with other varieties and hybrids, giant phalaenopsis has gained immense popularity and is successfully grown in botanical gardens, greenhouses, and also in apartments.

Priming

Like all orchids, it loves light, nutritious, breathable soil. When transplanting, the substrate should easily fall off the roots.

As a rule, it consists of:

• Pieces of pine bark 2-3 cm in size;
• Expanded clay;
• Wood (preferably birch) charcoal;
• Whole sphagnum moss.

You can also purchase a ready-made substrate in a specialized store by adding a few threads of whole moss to it.

Sometimes phalaenopsis in a basket is grown on pure New Zealand moss. In such a substrate, the plant can grow without replanting for many years.

Optimal capacity

Plant a giant phalaenopsis in an orchid pot, basket or on a block.

A transparent pot for the still little Giant.

When choosing a pot, you should pay attention to its characteristics:

• Mandatory presence of drainage holes;
• The volume of the pot should be such that the roots are freely located and do not touch the walls;
• The material of the container must have good heat-insulating properties, otherwise the roots will overheat;
• Transparent walls will allow you to observe the condition of the root system.

A giant phalaenopsis planted in an orchid basket or block looks very impressive, since in this case its growth is similar to growing in natural conditions.

However, it must be borne in mind that growing on a block is inconvenient due to the large size of the plant and the need for daily watering.

Craftsmen also cultivate Giant Phalaenopsis entirely in water.

Growing Gigantea in water.

And here is a video on this topic, albeit in English (about growing in water starts approximately from the middle of the video):

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ubumVQ5ZoG0

Security

wood wasp

The species is not considered endangered, so it is not in the Red Book. Only a few species are classified as rare in certain areas. For example, the forest wasp is listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region. This happened due to the fact that wasps of this species are rare in those places. There are not so few insects in the forests.

The main reason for the population decline is human actions. This is considered the main factor, because people destroy wasp nests on their own, considering them pests. From time to time, insects build nests in open areas, so they are damaged due to winds or rains.

The wasp population is declining slightly due to natural enemies. Animals are killed by predators, vermin or birds. At the moment, all habitats of forest wasps are under careful protection by environmentalists. Now it is planned to create new reserves for the protection of insects of this species.

Keeping pigeons

Pigeons are flocking and peaceful birds. In captivity, they live from 15 to 20 years. For breeding at home, attics or separate dovecotes with walls made of wood or brick with an entrance on the south side are suitable. The windows for birds to fly out are made approximately 10-20 cm wide. For purebred birds, a fenced outdoor run is provided. The dovecote must be dry, clean and bright. Pigeons get sick in dark or damp rooms. Perches for birds during non-nesting periods are installed in the dovecote. For this purpose, you can make shelves on the walls. Nesting boxes with nests are also installed in the dovecote. Nests are made of wood or plaster.

Symptoms

In women during menopause, the first symptoms that may indicate a tumor of the uterus may be:

• Lost menstrual cycle. Just before menopause, bloody discharge becomes less frequent and decreases in volume. But with a tumor, the discharge may become more frequent and abundant again.

In women after menopause, when there has been no menstruation for more than 2 months, symptoms may include:

• Any discharge with blood or bleeding.

In women of all ages, the following symptoms may indicate the presence of a uterine tumor:

• irregular bleeding;
• constipation;
• fast fatiguability.

The following types of pain may cause concern:

• in the lumbar region;
• lower abdomen;
• in the perineum;
• when urinating;
• after sexual intercourse.

Plumage color: from nondescript gray to pink

We are accustomed to the fact that the birds described are rather inconspicuous, painted in dull colors. Even among purebred birds you will not see exotic plumage flowers. However, it can be so varied and bright that it is not immediately believed in the presence of a dove before your eyes.

Surprisingly, the basis for all colors - even green and pink shades - are only three colors, for the formation of which the melanin pigment is responsible:

• brown,
• recessive red,
• black,
• ash red (or ash red).

The color of pigeon plumage depends not only on the presence of pigment, but also on how it is concentrated in different parts of the feather. There are such unusual colors for us as orange, pink, green. The patterns on the feathers of birds also vary.

Bright colors of pigeons are also found in the wild, but many colors have appeared due to selection.