Bees and Wasps Honor

Nature Study

Requirements

1. To which order do bees, wasps, and hornets belong? What are the characteristics of this order? What other common insect belongs to this same order?

   Answer: 1) To which order do they belong? To the order Hymenoptera (hymenopterans). 2) What are the characteristics of this order? Two pairs of membranous wings (the posterior pair is smaller and couples to the anterior one by hooks), chewing-lapping mouthparts, generally a narrow waist between the thorax and abdomen, and females with an ovipositor that in many species has become a stinger; many live in social colonies. 3) What other common insect belongs to this same order? Ants (they are also hymenopterans). — Hymenoptera = 'membranous wings' in Greek. It includes more than 130,000 described species. Ants are considered evolutionarily to be wingless wasps. Some species are parasitoids important for the biological control of agricultural pests. Sociability and division of labor are striking characteristics.

2. What does the term holometabolous mean? Illustrate the life cycle of a holometabolous insect.

   Answer: Holometabolous means complete metamorphosis: the insect passes through 4 distinct stages — egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Different from hemimetabolous (partial). The bee's cycle: egg (3 days), larva (5-9 days), pupa (10-14 days), adult. — Holometabolous = Greek holos (complete) + metabolē (change). Butterflies, beetles, flies, and bees are holometabolous. The pupa is a stage of massive internal transformation. The evolutionary advantage is that larvae and adults do not compete for the same resources. Primitive insects (dragonflies) are hemimetabolous.

3. What is the scientific name of the bee known as the European bee?

   Answer: The scientific name of the European bee (also called the Italian or Ligurian bee) is Apis mellifera ligustica. It is a subspecies of Apis mellifera (the western honey bee). — Apis = genus (all honey bees). Mellifera = species (literally: 'that produces honey'). Ligustica = subspecies (from Liguria, a region of Italy). Beekeeping in Brazil began in 1839 with the dark bee (A. m. mellifera) brought from Portugal by Father Antônio Carneiro; the Italian bee (ligustica) arrived later, with Italian immigrants (19th century). Other subspecies: A. m. mellifera (German, dark), A. m. carnica (Carnia, southern Europe).

4. How are bees classified within a colony?

   Answer: Em uma colmeia as abelhas dividem-se em três castas: 1) Rainha - única fêmea fértil, põe ovos (até 2.000/dia) e produz feromônios que coesam a colônia; vive 3-5 anos. 2) Operárias - fêmeas estéreis que fazem todo o trabalho conforme a idade (limpeza, alimentar larvas, produzir cera, guardar a entrada e por fim coletar néctar/pólen); vivem semanas. 3) Zangões - machos, sem ferrão, cuja única função é fecundar a rainha no voo nupcial; não trabalham e são expulsos da colmeia no inverno/escassez. — The queen can live 5 years; workers 35-45 days in summer; drones a few weeks. Workers change function according to age (cleaner→nurse→guard→forager). Drones die after mating. Every larva starts the same, but a diet of royal jelly determines queen vs. worker. Extreme sociability.

5. Answer the following about bees:
   • What is the largest species of bee?
   • Why are bees so sociable with each other and wasps are not?
   • What is the name of the profession of a bee breeder?
   • Why does the bee die soon after stinging a person or animal?
   • Where was the Apis Mellifera Ligustica bee species brought to South America from?
   • What makes bees follow their queen?
   • What do bees collect from flowers?

   Answer: 1) What is the largest bee in the world? Wallace's giant bee (Megachile pluto), with a wingspan of up to 4 cm. 2) Why are bees considered social insects? Because they live in organized colonies with a division of labor among the queen, workers, and drones, cooperating in the raising of the larvae and the maintenance of the hive. 3) What is the name of the profession of someone who raises bees? A beekeeper (and the activity is beekeeping; the raising of stingless bees is called meliponiculture). 4) Why do some bees die when they sting? The stinger of the Apis mellifera worker is barbed and gets stuck in the victim's skin; when it pulls away, the bee tears off part of its viscera along with the stinger and dies. — Beekeeping is an important agricultural sector. Wasps have a smooth stinger (they can sting several times). Apis mellifera does not have its viscera torn off if the stinger comes out of the skin easily (when they sting other bees). The queen's pheromone can be detected at 30m. Pollen has protein; nectar has sugar for honey.

6. Name five species of stingless bees.

   Answer: Five stingless bees (Meliponines): jataí (Tetragonisca angustula), mandaçaia (Melipona quadrifasciata), uruçu (Melipona scutellaris), iraí (Nannotrigona testaceicornis), and moça-branca (Frieseomelitta varia). — Meliponines have an atrophied stinger, defending the nest only by biting. The jataí is the most common in Brazil (yellow, small). The uruçu is the largest (queen 2 cm). Meliponine honey is more acidic and fluid than that of Apis mellifera, valued in meliponiculture. Conservation is important — endangered species.

7. What are the possible benefits and harms of bees to humans and to nature?

   Answer: Benefits: 1) Pollination — about 75% of food crops and a large part of wild plants depend on bees to bear fruit; 2) Production of honey, wax, propolis, royal jelly, and pollen (food, natural medicine, and income for the beekeeper); 3) Ecological balance, maintaining the reproduction of the native flora. Harms: 1) Painful stings that can cause severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) and death in sensitive people; 2) Attacks by defensive swarms (especially Africanized bees) with hundreds of stings; 3) They can settle in the ceilings and walls of houses, requiring removal; 4) Introduced exotic species can compete with native bees. — Africanized bees in Brazil are more defensive. Anaphylaxis affects 1-3% of people. Honey has antibacterial properties. Pollen is a complete protein. Wax becomes candles, cosmetics. Royal jelly is the queen's exclusive food (a stimulant for humans). Africanized Apis mellifera competes with native bees.

8. How do bees carry out the pollination of flowers? Illustrate.

   Answer: The bee lands on the flower to collect nectar. Pollen from the anthers sticks to the hairs of its body. When it flies to another flower of the same species, it deposits this pollen on the stigma (the female part). — Cross-pollination (between different flowers) is the most efficient for genetic diversity. The electrostatic hairs of bees attract pollen. The load of pollen on one bee can weigh 35% of its body. Without bees, 1/3 of the world's food production is at risk. Albert Einstein is said to have stated that without bees, humanity has 4 years.

9. What are the differences between wasps and hornets?

   Answer: They are practically the same group (the family Vespidae). 'Hornet' (marimbondo) is the popular Brazilian name for larger social wasps. 'Wasp' can be a general term for any hymenopteran of the type, including solitary ones. — In Brazil, 'marimbondo' generally refers to large wasps of the family Vespidae such as Polybia paulista. The yellow wasp is Polybia ignobilis. Some South American species are called marimbondo-cavalo. The stinger is smooth (multiple stings possible). The difference is more regional/popular than biological.

10. Describe the characteristics of wasps and hornets, including habits, diet, and reproduction.

    Answer: Characteristics: 2 pairs of membranous wings, a smooth stinger (several stings possible), a segmented body. Habits: social (colonies) or solitary. Diet: nectar, larvae of other insects, fruits. — Wasps prey on other insects (biological control). Nest construction varies: paper (they chew plant fibers with saliva), mud, or underground. Adult wasps eat nectar; larvae eat protein (pre-chewed insects). A thin waist between the thorax and abdomen is characteristic. The venom has an inflammatory action.

11. Illustrate and describe the life cycle of the wasp Pepsis Formosa Pattoni.

    Answer: Pepsis formosa pattoni is a tarantula hawk wasp, one of the largest wasps in the world (up to 5 cm) with a very potent stinger. Complete life cycle (holometabolous, 4 stages): 1) Egg — the adult female hunts a tarantula, paralyzes it with a sting (does not kill it), and drags it to an already-dug burrow, where she deposits a single egg on the abdomen of the living spider and seals it inside the hole. 2) Larva — the egg hatches within a few days and the larva begins to feed on the still-living, paralyzed tarantula, first devouring the non-vital organs to keep it fresh as long as possible; it grows over several weeks until it consumes almost the entire prey. 3) Pupa — once feeding is finished, the larva spins a cocoon and pupates inside the burrow, undergoing metamorphosis. 4) Adult — the adult wasp emerges, feeding on the nectar and sap of flowers (the adults are essentially nectarivorous); the female then seeks a new tarantula to restart the cycle. The males do not hunt. — Pepsis formosa has one of the most painful stings in the world (Schmidt index 4/4). Adults are large wasps (5 cm) metallic blue with orange wings. Tarantulas weigh more than the wasp — the hunt is an extreme fight. The larva preserves vital organs for prolonged feeding. No real danger to humans.

12. What are the possible benefits and harms of wasps and hornets to humans and to nature?

    Answer: Benefits: biological control (they prey on pest larvae such as caterpillars), secondary pollination, and ecological balance. Harms: painful stings with a risk of anaphylaxis, attacks by defensive swarms can cause hundreds of stings, and some species are urban pests in houses/gardens. — Mud dauber wasps control caterpillars in vegetable gardens. Polybia paulista preyed on 70% of caterpillars in Embrapa studies. Anaphylaxis kills 50-100 people/year in Brazil. A mass attack is rare but serious — move away calmly without flailing. Do not destroy nests without a trained pest control professional.

13. Which species of bird only builds its nests where there are hornet/wasp nests?

    Answer: The yellow-rumped cacique (also called japim, xexéu, japu, or japiim — Cacicus cela, family Icteridae) builds its nests in colonies precisely in trees that house active wasp/hornet nests. The wasps drive away predators (snakes, opossums, toucans, monkeys) that would attack the eggs and chicks, and in return the birds' nests are protected. — It is an example of an ecological relationship of mutual protection. The wasps aggressively defend the tree, scaring off predators; the caciques benefit from this defense and therefore only nest where there is an active wasp colony. A single tree can hold dozens to hundreds of hanging cacique nests. It shows how God balances the relationships among creatures in nature.

14. Complete the following requirements:
    • Find a Bible text containing the word wasp;
    • Name three biblical characters who ate honey;
    • To which people did the two kings who were driven out of their lands by hornets belong?
    • According to the Bible, what is sweeter than honey?
    • What is the responsibility of human beings toward nature? (Genesis 1:27 and 28; 2:15)

    Answer: Wasp: Exodus 23:28 ('hornets before you'). 3 who ate honey: Samson (Judges 14), Jonathan (1 Sam 14), John the Baptist (Mt 3:4). Kings driven out by hornets: the Amorites (Josh 24:12). — Exodus 23:28 promises hornets to drive out enemies. Samson took honey from a lion's carcass. Jonathan ate honey forbidden by a fast. John the Baptist ate locusts and wild honey. The Amorites were driven out of the Promised Land. God's word is sweeter than honey — Psalm 119 repeats it too. Genesis establishes stewardship.