Wasps Invented Paper Long Before Humans
A wasp is a stinging insect with a narrow waist. Paper wasps make their nests from wood pulp.
A wasp is a stinging insect with a narrow waist, typically yellow and black. Common wasps make their nests from genuine paper: they scrape wood fibre from fences and dead trees, chew it with saliva into pulp, and build thin grey sheets. The process is essentially how paper is manufactured, and wasps were doing it long before anyone else. Unlike bees, most wasps can sting repeatedly, since their sting has no barbs to tear loose.
- A stinging insect. *A common wasp.*
- A paper nest. *A wasp nest.*
- Waspish — irritable. *A waspish remark.*
- Hornet — a large wasp. *A hornet.*
- Old English — *wæps*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | wasp | A wasp. |
| Plural | wasps | Wasps. |
| Adjective | waspish | Waspish. |
| Related | hornet | A hornet. |
| Latin | vespa | A wasp. |
- A wasp landed on the jam.Insect.
- Nests are made of paper.Biology.
- A waspish reply.Figurative.
Wasps and bees compared
- Wasps are predators; bees feed on pollen and nectar
- Most wasps can sting repeatedly; a honeybee dies after one sting
- Wasps have smooth bodies; bees are hairy
- Wasp nests are paper; beehives are wax
- Both are important pollinators and pest controllers
Old English *wæps*, of Germanic origin, related to Latin *vespa*.
Are wasp nests really paper?
Yes. Wasps chew wood fibre into pulp and build thin grey sheets, essentially manufacturing paper.
Why can wasps sting more than once?
Their stings lack the barbs that make a honeybee's sting tear loose from its body.