Difference between bee and wasp

There is a legend that the devil created the wasps, and God created the bees. According to the legend, it is thanks to the blessing that bees guard human health, supplying such important and necessary components of many medicines as honey, wax, propolis. Wasps, at least, are referred to as useless creatures, and as a maximum, to pests. And, nevertheless, the similarity of these two insects leads to confusion, which we have to figure out.

External view

If you ask a child who is in front of him, a wasp or a bee, he is likely to get confused. But adults are often unable to distinguish between a bee and a wasp. And, nevertheless, these insects have many external differences.

Bees belong to the order Hymenoptera of the superfamily Apoidea. They look like this: the body is somewhat rounded, covered with villi. The bee, like many similar insects, has yellow-black stripes on the body, muted color.

Bee

wasps do not have a strict scientific definition, they include those from the suborder stalk-bellied, which cannot be attributed to bees or ants... Wasps have a long body, which is pulled over the chest. The body of wasps is smooth, without fibers. The color of the wasp is similar to that of the bee - the same stripes, but only bright, noticeable.

Wasp

Livelihoods

Bees are by nature toilers. They are ready to work endlessly for the good of the hive. Collecting nectar from flowers, bees produce many useful products that are used in pharmaceuticals and human nutrition. Honeycombs are built from the wax they produce.

Wasps are not able to develop any useful product; they make their hives from a variety of waste. The food of wasps is quite varied. They do not disdain either fruit or nectar. The diet of wasps also includes delicacies, which include flies and other small insects.

Behavior

In case of danger, bees sting, but only if they are attacked first. In this way, they protect the hive. After the bee has stung, it dies, leaving a sting in the opponent's body. There is a certain hierarchy in the family of bees, the highest level in which is the queen bee. It is her welfare that the worker bees take care of. In winter, all the conditions for a comfortable existence are created for her.

Wasp is a rather aggressive insect. Its characteristic features are intrusiveness and the ability to sting at any moment. At the same time, the wasp does not die. In addition to the sting, the wasp uses a jaw apparatus to defend against opponents, which, in principle, is uncharacteristic for insects of its family. The wasp queen spends the winter alone, she has no helpers and guards. Alone, she lays the larvae and builds a nest.

Conclusions TheDifference.ru

  1. The bee has a more rounded body. The cover has villi, the color is muted. The wasp, on the contrary, has a smooth elongated body and bright colors.
  2. Bees produce useful products: wax, honey, propolis. Wasps do not produce any useful foods.
  3. Bees do not attack first, wasps are predators by nature, they are able to sting for no apparent reason.
  4. After the bee stings, it dies. Wasps are capable of stinging multiple times, and in addition they bite using the jaw apparatus.
  5. Bees feed exclusively on pollen, while the diet of wasps is more varied.
  6. The queen bee is surrounded by the care of other members of the family, while the wasp queen has to take care of herself on her own.
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