When considering whether wasps lose their stingers after stinging, the answer is no. Unlike honey bees, most wasp species do not leave their stingers embedded in their target. This anatomical difference allows a wasp to sting multiple times, making them capable of repeated defensive actions. This reusability of the stinger is a key distinction.
How a Wasp Stinger Works
A wasp’s stinger is a sophisticated biological tool, derived from a modified egg-laying organ called an ovipositor found in female wasps. This structure is smooth and needle-like, lacking the barbs seen on a honey bee’s stinger. The stinger is also retractable, allowing the wasp to inject venom and then withdraw the apparatus.
The venom is produced within a venom gland and stored in a venom sac located in the wasp’s abdomen. When a wasp stings, muscles surrounding the venom sac contract, forcing the venom through the hollow stinger and into the target’s tissue. This efficient mechanism enables the wasp to deliver its painful payload and then quickly disengage, preserving its ability to sting again.
Wasp Versus Bee Stinging
Honey bees possess barbed stingers that, once embedded in skin, become firmly lodged. When a honey bee attempts to pull away after stinging, the barbed stinger, along with parts of its digestive tract, muscles, and venom sac, is torn from its body. This internal injury is fatal to the honey bee, which dies after stinging.
In contrast, a wasp’s stinger is smooth. This design allows the wasp to easily penetrate a target’s skin, inject venom, and then pull its stinger out cleanly. Consequently, wasps can sting repeatedly, enabling them to defend themselves or their colony multiple times. This anatomical difference explains why a honey bee’s sting is a singular, terminal event, while a wasp can deliver successive stings.
What Happens to a Wasp After Stinging
Since wasps retain their stingers, they survive the act of stinging. After delivering a sting, a wasp can retract its stinger and fly away, ready to sting again. While they can sting multiple times, the amount of venom injected may decrease with successive stings as their venom supply is finite and needs replenishment.
A wasp’s stinging behavior is a defense mechanism, used to protect itself or its nest. After stinging, wasps may become more agitated or aggressive, particularly if their nest has been disturbed. This heightened aggression deters further threats to their colony.