WAS 
WASP. A genus of the hymenoptera order 
of infeifls ; the charaflers of which are thcfe : the 
mouth has maxilla without any probnfcis ; the 
upper wings are plicated ; the fling is pointed and 
concealed J the eyes are lunar; and the body is 
naked and fmooth. Linnasus enumerates twenty- 
eight fpecies. 
The bee and the Wafp refemble each other 
very flrongly ; yet, if we examine their natures 
and periods of duration, they will be found to dif- 
fer very widely. The bee labours to lay up ho- 
ney, and lives to enjoy the fruits of it's induftry : 
the Wafp appears equally afTiduous ; but toils for 
pofterity only, as the habitation is fcarcely com- 
pleated when the inhabitant refigns it's being. 
The Wafp is well known to be a winged infedt, 
furnifihed with a powerful fting; to be longer, in 
proportion to it's bulk, than the bee ; to be 
marked with bright yellow circles round it's body 
and to be the moft fwift and a6live infefl of all 
the fly kind. On each fide of the mouth, it is 
furniflied with a long ferrated tooth; and with 
thefe It is enabled to cut any fubftance, and to 
carry it to it's ncft. Wafps, like bees, live in 
communities ; and fometimcs ten or twelve thou- 
fand inliabit a fingle neft. 
Wafps, when enraged, are the moft fierce and 
dangerous of infedls, and at all times the moft vo- 
racious. Wherever flefli is cutting up, they may 
be feer' gorging themfelves, and flying to their 
nefts with the fpoil. They are alfo inimical to 
every other kind of fly ; and the fpider, with all 
it's malignity, dreads the approach of this fiipe- 
rior foe. 
Every community among bees is compofed of 
females or queens, drones or m.ales, and neutral 
or working bees. Wafps have likevvife fimilar 
occupations : the two firft are for the propagation 
of the fpecies;. the laft for nurfing, defending, 
and fupporting the nafcent progeny. Among 
bees, however, there is feldom more than one or 
two queens in a hive; but, among Wafps, there 
are frequently more than two or three hundred. 
No fooner does the genial influence of fummer 
begin to invigorate the infeft tribes, than the 
Wafps are feen in prodigious numbers^ diligently 
employed either in gathering provifion for their 
neft, if already made; or in making one, if the 
former retreat has been found too fmall for the in- 
creafing community. Their neft forms one of 
the moft curious objefls in natural hiftory; and 
difcovers almoft as ftrong marks of ingenuity and 
contrivance as the cells of bees. The principal 
care of the Wafp kind is to feek out a hole that 
has been begun by fome other animal, a field- 
moufe, a rat, or a mole, in which to build their 
nefts. They fometimes fix their habitations on a 
plain, where they are fure of the drynefs of their 
jfituation ; but moft commonly on the fide of a 
bank, to avoid the efFeds of rain or other water. 
Having pitched on a proper fpot, they proceed 
to work with unwearied afllduity : with indefati- 
gable pains they firft ereft the walls of their re- 
treat, which is fliaped fomewhat like a pear j and 
then provide a double entrance, with defign either 
to admit the warmth of the fun, or to allow of 
jcgrefs, fliould one of the doors be invaded by plun- 
derers. They next labour at their cells, which 
they form of a paper-like fubftance, the fame as 
that which compofes their outfide works. Their 
combs differ from thofe of bees not lefs in their 
.compofition than in their pofition. The honey- 
combs of bees are edge-ways with refpe^l to the 
WAS 
hive ; thofe of Wafps are flat, and the motith of 
every cell opens downwards. Thus is their habi- 
tation contrived, ftory above ftory, fupported by 
feveral rows of pillars, which give ftability to the 
v/hole building; while the upper ftory is flat- 
roofed, and as fmooth as the pavement of a room 
laid with fquares of marble. The Wafps can 
freely walk on thefe ftories, between the pillars, 
and perform whatever their wants may require. 
The pillars are very hard and compadl, being 
larger at each end than in the middle. All the 
cells of the neft are deftined only for the reception 
of the young, being totally deftitute of either wax 
or honey. 
The cells, like thofe of bees, are hexagonal ; 
but they are of two forts ; the one larger, for the 
production of the male and female Wafps ; the 
other lefs, for the reception of the working part 
of the community. 
When the females have been impregnated by 
the males, they lay their eggs, one in each cell, 
and faftcn it in with a kind of gummy matter. 
From this egg the infed proceeds in it's worm 
ftate; of which the parents are extremely careful, 
feeding it from time to time, till it acquires a fuf- 
ficient fize to fill the cell deftined for it's recep- 
tion. But the Wafp fociety differs from that of 
the bee in this ; that among the latter, the work- 
ing bees afTume the parental duties ; whereas the 
females alone of the Wafp kind are permitted to 
nurfe their rifing progeny. For this purpofe, the 
female waits patiently till the working Wafps have 
returned with their provifions, which flie receives, 
and cuts into fragments. She then proceeds with 
great compofure from cell to cell, and feeds the 
young Wafps in order with, her mouth. 
When the brood have attained to a certain mag- 
nitude, they leave off feeding, and begin to fpiti 
a very fine filk, faftening the firft end to the en- 
trance of the cell; then turning their heads, firft 
on one fide, then on the other, they fix the thread 
to different parts; and thus they form a fort of 
door, which ferves to clofe up the mouth of the 
cell. After this they diveft themfelves of their 
fkins by the ufual method of transformation : the 
aurelia begins by degrees to emancipate itfelf 
from it's fhell; by little and little it protrudes it's 
legs and wings; and imperceptibly acquires the 
colour and fhape of it's parent infed. 
Thus formed, and prepared for depredation, 
the Wafp foon becomes a bold, troublefom,e, and 
dangerous infedl: it defpifes perils when in purfuit 
of it's prey; and it's gluttony feems infatiable. 
Though incapable of colledting honey itfelf, no 
creature is fonder of fweet fubftanccs; for the at- 
taining which, it will purfue the bee and humble 
bee, difable them with it's fting, plunder them of 
their honey- bags, and then fly triumphantly to 
it's neft,- in order to regale it's young with the 
fpoil. 
Wafps generally form their nefts in the vicinity 
of bees, merely for tlie lake of opportunely rob- 
bing their hives, and feafting on the honey. Yet 
the bees are not always patiently fubmifTive to 
thefe tyrants; but fierce battles fometimes enfue^ 
in which the former, by their condudt and num- 
bers, compenfate for the want of perfonal bravery. 
When the Wafps happen to be difappointed of 
honey, they have recourfe to the beft and fweeteft 
fruits, and are never miftaken in their choice. 
From the garden they fly to towns and villages, 
to fhops and fhambles; from whence they fome- 
times carry off pieces of flefh half as big as them- 
felves : 
