Have you done one on oriental hornets? They are so cool !!! Literally partially photosynthetic!!! And they have built in heaters in their bodies!!!!
Today's wasp of the day is the oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis)!
Credits: photo 1, photo 2
Uniquely adapted for sun and sand, these wasps can be found in desert regions across Central and Southwest Asia, the Middle East, Northeast Africa, and Southern Europe.
It takes a lot of energy to dig underground nests; and when you're underground you don't have the sun to give you that warmth and energy you need. So these crafty wasps have found a way to take the sun's bounty with them. That yellow belt they sport is basically a solar panel. The pigments of their yellow band are specialized to absorb sunlight, and the melanin found in the surrounded cuticle is designed to keep that energy in. That way, V. orientalis is able to bring a store of warmth and energy with it as it toils away in the mines.
Another interesting adaption is with their diet. As scavengers, V. orientalis often makes use of food that is less than fresh. Studies have shown that V. orientalis has an incredibly high tolerance for alcohol and can consume fermented fruit with no side effects. In fact, these hornets even carry yeast as part of their microbiome to purposely ferment their food so that it becomes less attractive to competitors.
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