Wasps play an important role in the ecosystem, despite being considered annoying pests by many people. Here are some of the benefits of wasps:

• Pest control: Wasps are predators and hunt live prey, such as flies, caterpillars, and spiders, as a source of protein. They feed the prey to their developing brood, which are the meat-eaters, not the adults. In social wasp species, the babies give the adults that feed them a sugary reward. So, predator wasps help to keep other arthropod populations under control. Without these wasps, we would be flooded with flies, caterpillars, spiders, and other arthropods.

• Pollination: Many species of wasps are pollinators that are vital for flowering plants. Many plants have symbiotic relationships with wasps, and some even depend on wasps for their existence. For example, fig wasps in the family Agaonidae coevolved with certain kinds of fig trees. So without wasps, we would lose many species of plants.

• Antibiotics: Some wasps produce powerful antibiotics in their venom, saliva, and larval secretions, which have long been recognized in traditional medicine.

• Nutritious snack: Wasps can be a nutritious snack for other animals, such as birds and spiders.

In summary, wasps are important for pest control, pollination, and producing antibiotics. They are also a food source for other animals. A world without wasps would be a world with a much larger number of insect pests on our crops and gardens.