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Wasps valuable for ecosystems, economy and human health just like bees: Study ANI | Updated: Apr 29, 2021 08:39 IST
London [UK], April 29 (ANI): According to a new review paper led by UCL and University of East Anglia researchers, wasps deserve to be just as highly valued as other insects, like bees, due to their roles as predators, pollinators, and more.
The study, published in Biological Reviews, compiles evidence from over 500 academic papers to review how roughly 33,000 species of stinging (aculeate) wasps contribute to their ecosystems, and how this can benefit the economy, human health, and society.
Lead author Professor Seirian Sumner (UCL Centre for Biodiversity & Environment Research, UCL Biosciences) said: Wasps are one of those insects we love to hate - and yet bees, which also sting, are prized for pollinating our crops and making honey. In a previous study, we found that the hatred of wasps is largely due to widespread ignoranc
Published:
10:44 AM April 29, 2021
A heath potter wasp (Eumenes coarctatus), delivers a caterpillar to her nesting pot. Credit: John Walters.
- Credit: John Walters
They might have ruined a fair few picnics and disrupted enjoyment of pints in pub beer gardens, but wasps deserve far more credit, say Norwich scientists.
Whereas bees are prized for their roles as pollinators, University of East Anglia researchers say the reputation of wasps as pointless, but irritating, insects is far from fair.
They say wasps are crucial predators, pollinators, and may even be of use in treating cancer.
A study, published in the journal Biological Reviews, compiles evidence from over 500 academic papers to review how some 33,000 species of stinging wasps contribute to ecosystems, and how this can help the economy, human health, and society.
Academics said that wasps regulate populations of arthropods, like aphids and caterpillars, that damage crops.
They are also expert pollinators, visiting 960 plant species including 164 that are completely dependent on wasps for pollination, according to a study published in Biological Reviews.
Lead author Prof Seirian Sumner, from UCL’s Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, said: “Wasps are one of those insects we love to hate – and yet bees, which also sting, are prized for pollinating our crops and making honey.
“In a previous study, we found that the hatred of wasps is largely due to widespread ignorance about the role of wasps in ecosystems, and how they can be beneficial to humans.
Academics said that wasps regulate populations of arthropods, like aphids and caterpillars, that damage crops.
They are also expert pollinators, visiting 960 plant species including 164 that are completely dependent on wasps for pollination, according to a study published in Biological Reviews.
Lead author Prof Seirian Sumner, from UCL’s Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, said: “Wasps are one of those insects we love to hate – and yet bees, which also sting, are prized for pollinating our crops and making honey.
“In a previous study, we found that the hatred of wasps is largely due to widespread ignorance about the role of wasps in ecosystems, and how they can be beneficial to humans.