Bald-faced hornet: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

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Bald-faced hornet

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	Bald-faced hornet
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	Topics Bald-faced hornet Topic Home *Dolichovespula maculata* is a North AmericaNorth America North America is a continent in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost fully in the western hemisphere.... n insect which, despite commonly being called the bald-faced hornet (or white-faced hornet), is not a true hornetHornet Hornets are large eusocial wasps, reaching up to 35 millimetres in length.... at all. It belongs to a genus of waspWasp * Eupelmidae* Ichneumonidae, and Braconidae... s called yellowjacketYellowjacket Yellowjackets are black-and-yellow wasps of the genus Vespula or Dolichovespula.... s in North America, and is more distantly related to true hornets like the Asian giant hornetAsian giant hornet Overview The Asian giant hornet, the world's largest wasp, is a native of temperate and tropical Eastern Asia.... or European hornetEuropean hornet The European hornet Vespa crabro is the largest European eusocial wasp.... , but the term "hornet" is often used colloquially to refer to any vespineVespine Vespine Of, relating to, or resembling a wasp.... with an exposed aerial nest. The bald-faced hornet lives throughout North AmericaNorth America North America is a continent in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost fully in the western hemisphere.... , including southern CanadaCanada Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, occupying most of northern North America.... , the Rocky Mountains, the western coast of the United States, and most of the eastern US. They are most common in the southeastern United StatesUnited States The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., and America, is... . They are best known for their large football-shaped paperPaper Paper is a thin, flat material produced by the amalgamation of plant fibres, which are subsequently held together without ex... nestNest A nest is place of refuge built to hold an animal's eggs and/or provide a place to raise their offspring.... , which they build in the spring for raising their young. These nests can sometimes reach 3 feet tall. Like the median waspMedian wasp The Median wasp, Dolichovespula media, is a wasp genus native to Europe.... Dolichovespula media in EuropeEurope Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth.... , bald-faced hornets are extremely protective of their nests and will sting repeatedly if disturbed. The main area of the body that bald faced hornets attack on humans is the facial area. Every year young queens that were born and fertilizedFertilisation Fertilisation, also spelt fertilization , is fusion of gametes to form a new organism of the same species.... the previous year start a new colony and raise their young. The workers expand the nest by chewing up woodWood Wood is derived from woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs.... that mixes with a starchStarch Starch is a complex carbohydrate which is insoluble in water; it is used by plants as a way to store excess glucose.... in their salivaSaliva Saliva, informally known as *spit, is the moist, clear, and usually somewhat frothy substance produced in the mouth... , which they spread with their mandibleMandible The mandible* is the largest and strongest bone of the face.... s and legs to dry into paper. The workers also guard the nest and collect nectar and arthropodArthropod Arthropods are the largest phylum of animals and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others.... s to feed the larvae. This continues through summer and into fall. As winter approaches, the wasps die, except for young fertilized queens which hibernate underground or in hollow trees. The nest is generally abandoned by winter, and will most likely not be reused. When spring arrives the young queens emerge, and the cycle begins again. Bald-faced hornets visit flowers, especially in late summer, and can be minor pollinatorPollinator A pollinator is the biotic agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to acc... s. Like other social wasps, bald-faced hornets have a caste system made up of the following: Queens — fertile females which begin the colonies and lay eggs. Workers — infertile females which do the manual labor. Drones — males, which have no stingers, and are born from unfertilized eggs. Photos External links - "Hornets: Gentle Giants!" web site.