Wasps first appeared in the fossil record in the Jurassic, and diversified into many surviving superfamilies by the Cretaceous. They are a successful and diverse group of insects with tens of thousands of described species; wasps have spread to all parts of the world except for the polar regions.
In short: hornets are wasps, but not all wasps are hornets. Wasps are a diverse group of insects with over 100,000 species, many of which are solitary rather than social.
Wasps are small, flying insects that usually have an identifiable black body with yellow bands. Typically, wasps have a slender, smooth body with a narrow waist, a pair of membranous wings, and six spindly legs. Many species of wasps look like bees, and both wasps and bees are important pollinators that can cause a painful sting.
Wasps are one of nature’s most diverse and fascinating insects—ranging from social stingers like hornets and yellowjackets to solitary hunters like tarantula hawks and mud daubers. With over 100,000 known species worldwide, wasps come in all sizes, colors, and temperaments.
These wasps are renowned for their unique lifestyle, especially their hunting ritual, which involves paralyzing spiders using their venom and using them as live food for their larvae.
Wasps are social insects forming colonies inside nests specially constructed in soil, barks, roof spaces and in cavities in trees and walls. Wasps are frequently found in domestic housing.
Wasps get a bad rap as unwanted picnic guests and unrelenting stingers, but did you know the majority of them aren't aggressive at all? And many wasps don't even sport black- and yellow-striped bodies? Here's how to identify the 19 most common types of wasps you may encounter.
Easy Wasp Identification: A Visual Guide to 19 Common Types of Wasps