What are wasps for? (1 Viewer)

[Stoggler]

Something that I've often heard over the years, especially from older relatives, is that wasps don't serve a purpose, especially later on in the summer when they're often just feeding on fruit and are pests when you're trying to eat outside.

This has always struck me as nonsense, but I've never been able to say what role wasps do serve at that time of year. I believe that most of the spring and summer they will eat other insects, often garden pests. But how about the when they are in that time in late summer when they just want to land on your scone, jam and clotted cream...? I can't imagine them not evolving that way and not having some "function".

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

Wasps have exactly the same function as any other life-form - to act as vehicles for the replication and propagation of their genes - the wasp life form works, so it exists. If, one the whole, other species do not make much use of that by eating wasps, using them as pollinators or whatever, then that is their look-out, not the wasps!

 

[chris butterworth]

Annoying miserable buggers who won't share their jam?

Alternatively, clearing up the 'detritus' i.e. the flesh on fruits, around seeds so they have a better chance of germination.


Chris

 

[Stoggler]

Wasps have exactly the same function as any other life-form - to act as vehicles for the replication and propagation of their genes

True - not disputing that. But many/most species sit within an ecosystem and their existence within it often serves a function (for wont of a better term), helping particular plants to pollenate, or helping to limit the numbers of other species for example. My query is related to that more than anything - does a wasp drunk on fermenting fruit "do" anything (within its ecosystem)?

 

[Allen S. Moore]

Something that I've often heard over the years, especially from older relatives, is that wasps don't serve a purpose, especially later on in the summer when they're often just feeding on fruit and are pests when you're trying to eat outside.

This has always struck me as nonsense, but I've never been able to say what role wasps do serve at that time of year. I believe that most of the spring and summer they will eat other insects, often garden pests. But how about the when they are in that time in late summer when they just want to land on your scone, jam and clotted cream...? I can't imagine them not evolving that way and not having some "function".

Attributing a purpose to a creature is a bit Old Testament. Alternatively, one could perhaps ask "What are we here for?" perhaps after a few jars.

As for jam, that wasn't around when wasps evolved. They are just exploiting an easy food source, a bit like (may I say?!) gulls in towns. As with both cases, we have created readily accessible food sources and they are just using them.

 

[James Emerson]

I can't imagine them not evolving that way and not having some "function".

Species don't evolve to fulfill a function within an ecosystem or to help other species, they evolve to ensure the survival of their genes as mentioned earlier.

But many/most species sit within an ecosystem and their existence within it often serves a function (for wont of a better term), helping particular plants to pollenate, or helping to limit the numbers of other species for example.

Pollenating insects don't do it out of a sense of duty, they go about their business and plants have evolved to make use of the insects. Likewise species that limit numbers of other species are only doing it to feed themselves.

It may seem like semantics, but I think you are looking at the subject in the wrong way by looking for a sense of 'purpose' (or any similar sentiment). A more valid question would be something like "when feeding on fermented fruit do wasps benefit/impact on other species within the ecosystem?" The answer may be yes (such as the helping fruit to germinate example), but there is no evolutionary need for it to be so - it could just be that the wasps are making use of an abundant food source.

 

[Stoggler]

Clearly people are either reading too much into what I'm asserting, or more likely I simply haven't phrased the question correctly. James' wording "when feeding on fermented fruit do wasps benefit/impact on other species within the ecosystem?" is much much better and sums up exactly what I wanted to say, so thanks James for that (and for the answer).

So in summary, they're just attracted to an easy food source, with the consequence being that they often end up "drunk" on the fermenting sugars within certain fruits.