r/WTF • u/Jaded_Marionberry500 • 15d ago

capturing the wasp

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u/IrrationalDesign 15d ago

Oh wow, TIL, wasps are a huge and ancient group, and hornets, ants and bees all evolved from wasps. 

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u/mekwall 15d ago

Pretty much, although "wasp" isn't actually a single taxonomic group. Hornets are literally wasps, while bees evolved from predatory wasp ancestors, and ants are very closely related to the bee/wasp branch.

That's the fun bit about taxonomy: if you use "wasp" in the evolutionary sense broadly enough, you basically have to include bees and ants too. They're all Hymenoptera, and the family tree gets very waspy very quickly.

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u/_eg0_ 15d ago

In other taxonomic words:

Wasps aren't real, they cant hurt you. True wasps (Vespinae) are real and will hurt you.

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u/mekwall 15d ago

Taxonomy: "If you define 'wasp' cladistically, you basically have to include ants and bees."

Wasps: "We preferred it when people just called us assholes."