Vespa bicolor
Encyclopedia
The Black shield wasp is a species of hornet
which has been found to be the pollinator
of an orchid, Dendrobium sinense
, found only on the Chinese island of Hainan
. Vespa bicolor preys on honeybees which it feeds to its larvae.
Hornet
Hornets are the largest eusocial wasps; some species can reach up to in length. The true hornets make up the genus Vespa and are distinguished from other vespines by the width of the vertex , which is proportionally larger in Vespa and by the anteriorly rounded gasters .- Life cycle :In...
which has been found to be the pollinator
Pollinator
A pollinator is the biotic agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish fertilization or syngamy of the female gamete in the ovule of the flower by the male gamete from the pollen grain...
of an orchid, Dendrobium sinense
Dendrobium sinense
Dendrobium sinense is a species of Orchid endemic to the Chinese island of Hainan. It produces a volatile organic compound that is unrecorded in other plant species....
, found only on the Chinese island of Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
. Vespa bicolor preys on honeybees which it feeds to its larvae.
Sources
- Orchid Mimics Honey Bee Alarm Pheromone in Order to Attract Hornets for Pollination
- http://users.skynet.be/fa579324/Vespidae/Vespa_bicolor.htm -- site contains pictures