This atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica) female cone is about 10 months old and oozes a sweet resin sap that wasps are attracted to. Common wasp (Vespula v

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This atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica) female cone is about 10 months old and oozes a sweet resin sap that wasps are attracted to. Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) workers may deliberately damage the cones, which will \bleed\" sap in response. For most of the year worker wasps hunt insects to feed to the nest's developing larvae. The larvae excrete a sugary honeydew that the adult wasps consume. In addition, wasps obtain food from fruit, sap, carrion, human rubbish and may raid bee hives for honey. They are attracted by anything containing carbohydrates. At the end of the season, with all larvae hatched, the worker wasps seek food from other sources and can become a nuisance."

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Size: 3413px × 5120px
Photo credit: © MARTYN F. CHILLMAID/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, atlantica, atlas, biological, biology, botanical, botany, carbohydrates, cedar, cedrus, common, cone, conifer, coniferous, entomological, entomology, fauna, feeding, flora, food, honeydew, insect, larvae, nature, plant, resin, sap, sugar, sugary, vespula, vulgaris, wasp, wildlife, zoological, zoology