Social wasp

Pronunciation: /SOH-shuhl wosp/

Category: Behavior

Singular: Social wasp

Plural: Social wasps

Definition

A group of wasps belonging to the families Vespidae, which includes species that exhibit eusocial behavior, characterized by cooperative brood care, overlapping generations, and a division of labor among colony members.

Etymology

From Latin 'socius', meaning 'companion or associate', and 'wasp' from Old English 'waeps' or 'waesp', related to the insect of the order Hymenoptera.

Example

Social wasps, like the European paper wasp, live in colonies where members work together to care for larvae and maintain the nest.

Synonyms

Eusocial wasp

Related Terms

Colony
Queen
Worker
Drone
Nest

Usage Notes

Social wasps are distinct from solitary wasps, which do not exhibit communal living or collaborative brood care behaviors.