Paper wasps are common insects often encountered in human environments, recognized by their distinctive papery nests. These nests, which resemble upside-down umbrellas, are typically found in sheltered locations such as under eaves, on tree branches, or within shrubs. Belonging to the family Vespidae, these social wasps form colonies with a queen, workers, and males. While their presence can sometimes be alarming due to their stinging capability, paper wasps play specific roles within their ecosystems.
What Adult Paper Wasps Consume
Adult paper wasps primarily consume sugary liquids, which provide energy for daily activities like flight. They obtain these sugars from various natural sources. These include nectar from flowers, sweet fruit juices, honeydew (a sugary excretion produced by aphids), and tree sap. This liquid diet is for their personal sustenance and does not involve solid prey.
Adult wasps also consume a sugary liquid secreted by their larvae, creating a nutritional exchange within the colony. A narrow constriction between their head and abdomen prevents them from ingesting solid food. This mechanism ensures adults receive energy to forage and maintain the colony, while solid food is processed for their young.
How Larvae Are Fed
Paper wasp larvae require a protein-rich diet for growth, differing significantly from adult needs. Adult worker wasps hunt various arthropods for their young. Caterpillars are a primary food source, including corn earworms, armyworms, loopers, and hornworms. They also target flies, beetle larvae, and spiders.
Once captured, the adult wasp chews the arthropod into a soft, digestible pulp (a bolus). This protein is carried back to the nest and fed directly to larvae in their cells. This consistent protein supply is essential for larvae to mature, pupate, and emerge as adult wasps.
Their Role in the Ecosystem
Paper wasps serve as natural pest controllers, due to their predatory habits during larval rearing. By hunting various arthropods, especially caterpillars, they regulate insect populations in agricultural areas and gardens. This predation reduces common garden and crop pests, benefiting plants. Their diet includes pests like webworms and oak worms, which damage vegetation.
While paper wasps can be a nuisance near human activity, their role in managing insect populations contributes to ecological balance. Gardeners consider them beneficial for pest control. However, their predation on species like monarch butterfly larvae can conflict with conservation efforts.