Respect the Wasp mofos.
30 of em can kill off 300,000 bees in a 4 hour sortee.
they be vicious.
the man just lost 300 cred points. i was tryin ta overlook it. but yea spiders are arachnids.
dragon flies’ favourite meal is ladybug. i happen to like ladybugs, though. they’re really good for my garden. but i think i’d go out and find ladybugs to keep the dragonflies around.
like american honey bees they are amazingly social and don’t seem to mind human interaction or even a little human interferance in thier nesting and feeding habbits. there’s one that opens it’s mandible on both sides showing it’s teeth every time it graces me. i can’t help but think it’s waiting for me to shove a nice fat ladybug in there. 
but, knowing my luck he’s probably saying, “wanna see me fit you in here?”
thanks for the offer, but you will have to be the dragon fly’s student. the dragon fly learns from me. you will learn from the dragon fly. from father to son and from platonic form to martin buber. perhaps you will be a better student of the dragon fly style than i for i mimic my sifu and the dragonfly mimics me to the best of his ability. so you shall mimic the dragonfly to the best of your ability. becareful though, there are many tantilizing deceptions within the garden of knowledge: most dangerous for dragonfly is the spider’s strategum. second most deadly is the hook-clawed grasshopper. third most deadly is the night watchmen of the garden, the racoon and the oppossum. fourth you must develop your qi gong fu against the impossible insecticide: this is accomplished by the gong of the 30,000 flap breath and the three day draught gong. much work to do for you to catch up to dragonfly. but first you must lighten your step like dragonfly and bend the wind to your intent. 
.
I’ll still take the jump jack ants over anything. I saw a documentary on those things. They have a real bad attitude and are ultra agressive. When other animals here them on the march? They ****ing run like hell,
bugs, snakes, lizards etc.
They also **** humans up pretty good and can kill with a bite if not promptly trated.
I have to stand with dragonflys on this one also. The last time I went to my Great Grandfather’s cabin there were hundereds on the lake. When we went fishing, they would keep the horseflies away. This one that seemed somewhat fond of me, hung out for a few hours. He(or She, I don’t guess I know) would come up and come within about 2 inches of my eyes as long as I didn’t move and stayed relaxed. He was real friendly. He came back a few times and showed me his latest meal. It was odd, like he was proud of catching whatever little bug he had and wanted to show it off. I was appreciative though and it made my day 
.
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I think the jack ants would tear the giant hornets to peices.
The hornets can take honey bee stings, but the jack ants bite can kill a human.
They also have the right , aggressive attitude.
As far as dragonflys go, put yourv finger close to them when they land. Often they will hop on it. I can’t do it, but I’ve seen my wife do it a dozen times easy.
Dragonflies are like the guard-dogs of the insect world!
Every year when I go cottaging, out on the Lakes with all the mosquitos, I could almost always count on some Dragonflies to chaperone me and my friends. The buzz that the big ones make is quite cool as well !
Dragonflies can’t bite or sting, can they? I’m kinda scared of them when they swarm around.
Wait, those huge bees will kill you if you’re stung twice EVER?
Ironfist, if dragonflies are swarming about you, that’s cool, it just means that they are looking for the bugs that probably want to feast on you.
i suppose if they were hungry enough, but i’ve never heard of it. i think cam has the correct understanding: when they swarm they’re hunting those bugs who hunt you.
China’s giant hornets
To be stung to death by hornets is way up there on the list of crappy ways to check out.
Deadly giant hornets kill 42 people in China
By Madison Park. Dayu Zhang and Elizabeth Landau, CNN
October 4, 2013 – Updated 0651 GMT (1451 HKT)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Hornet stings have killed 42 people and injured 1,675 in China since July
Shaanxi province sees unusual level of activity; dry weather, human moves are factors
People who have been stung are dying from allergic reactions or multiple organ failure
Type of hornet is also a threat to honeybees, often seen in Japan
Hong Kong (CNN) – Hornets have killed dozens of people in China and injured more than 1,500 with their powerful venomous sting.
The Asian giant hornet, known scientifically as Vespa mandarinia, carries a venom that destroys red blood cells, which can result in kidney failure and death, said Justin O. Schmidt, an entomologist at the Southwest Biological Institute in Tucson, Arizona.
But perhaps a bigger problem than the toxicity of the venom is allergy, Schmidt says. Some people are naturally more allergic to stinging insects than others; a sting can trigger a deadly anaphylactic reaction, which may involve airway closure or cardiac arrest.
Since July, hornet attacks have killed 42 people and injured 1,675 people in three cities in Shaanxi province, according to the local government. Among those attacked, 206 are receiving treatment in hospitals.
What are these hornets?
In person, the Asian giant hornet, which is the largest hornet species in the world, looks like “the wasp analog of a pit bull” with “a face that looks like you just can’t reason with it,” said Christopher K. Starr, professor of entomology at University of West Indes in Trinidad & Tobago.
These hornets are found throughout East and Southeast Asia, in countries such as in China, Korea, Japan, India and Nepal.
And they’re big. The giant hornet extends about 3.5 to 3.9 centimeters in length (1.4 to 1.5 inches), roughly the size of a human thumb, and it has black tooth used for burrowing, according to an animal database at the University of Michigan. The queens are even bigger, with bodies that can grow longer than 5 centimeters (2 inches).
The species feed their young the larvae of other insects and use their mandibles to sever the limbs and heads of their prey.
The giant hornets are attracted to human sweat, alcohol and sweet flavors and smells. They are especially sensitive to when animals or people run, according to Xinhua.
Every breeding season, the giant hornets produce an average of 10,000 offspring. They feast on other insects such as wasps and bees, launching coordinated attacks on the hives of their prey.
Most hornet hives or nests are tucked away in secluded places, such as tree hollows or even underground.
“It’s very difficult to prevent the attacks, because hornet nests are usually in hidden sites,” said Shunichi Makino, director general of the Hokkaido Research Center for Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute in Japan.
What is the human impact?
Over the summer and early fall, hornets have invaded schools full of children and descended upon unsuspecting farm workers in China.
One of them is Mu Conghui, who was attacked in Ankang City while looking after her millet crop.
“The hornets were horrifying,” she told Xinhua, the Chinese state-run news agency. "They hit right at my head and covered my legs. All of a sudden, I was stung, and I couldn’t move.
“Even now, my legs are covered with sting holes.”
Two months, 13 dialysis treatments and 200 stitches later, Mu still remains hospitalized and unable to move her legs.
Makino, who specializes in entomology, warned that the sting from an Asian giant hornet was severe compared with those of other insects.
The influx of venom to the human body can cause allergic reactions and multiple organ failure, leading to death. Patients like Mu have been receiving dialysis to remove the toxins from their bodies. In photos, patients bore deep, dark craters scattered across their limbs, the size of bullet wounds.
Dr. Wang Xue, director of the intensive care unit at First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University and an expert of the provincial hornet sting treatment guidance unit, warned in a Shaanxi government release that hornets tend to be aggressive and more active during September and October, their breeding season. The hornets do not go into hibernation until December, according to local government authorities.
Local authorities have deployed thousands of police officers and locals to destroy the hives. About 710 hives have been removed and at least 7 million yuan (about $1.1 million U.S.) sent to areas affected by hornets, according to a government press release.
Why so many attacks now?
The spate of attacks could be caused by the unusually dry weather in the area, authorities say. The arid environment makes it easier for hornets to breed. Urbanization could also be a contributing factor, as humans move into hornets’ habitats.
Some experts cited in Xinhua stated additional factors such as increased vegetation and a decrease in the hornets’ enemies, such as spiders and birds, because of ecological changes.
In other words, it’s a good season for the hornet population, which makes it a bad season for people who encounter them.
The provincial government of Shaanxi has warned residents to wear long sleeves when outdoors and not to attempt to drive the swarms away or remove the hives.
Japan is familiar with Asian giant hornet stings, too. About 30 to 50 deaths are reported each year in Japan from such attacks, according to Japanese studies. Most of the deaths are due to allergies to the venom, Makino said.
The giant hornets are also destructive to western honeybees. Research in Japan suggests that tens of thousands of honeybee hives are damaged by the giant hornets each year.
How to protect yourself
People run into trouble when these hornets form a nest: a basketball-shaped nest that looks like it’s made of gray paper, sometimes under an eave, Schmidt said. If you disturb one of these, or happen to whack a tree that has a nest in it, the hornets may respond as if they’re under attack.
Humans can get themselves in danger by reacting poorly to these large hornets. If you see a nest or a hive, just avoid it, Schmidt says. If one of them buzzes around you, don’t panic.
“Don’t flap or scream or freak out,” he advised. “Just calmly walk away.”
One victim told local media this month that “the more you run, the more they want to chase you.” Some victims described being chased about 200 meters (656 feet) by a swarm.
An area of research that hasn’t been explored is how many people get stung by these hornets while taking down a nest in order to use the larvae as fish bait, or even to eat. The larvae do not have venom, Schmidt explained. But in general, people should not tamper with these nests.
As powerful as their sting can be, it is highly unlikely that these hornets would travel all the way to the United States to find a new home, Schmidt said, or in the United Kingdom for that matter. To go to Western Europe, they’d have to cross some “nasty deserts” to which they are not adapted.
As deadly as live adult giant hornets can be, some people don’t shy away from them altogether.
There is a sports drink in Japan called VAAM that incorporates amino acids derived from hornets.
In Taiwan, where the giant hornet is known as the “tiger head,” the insect is sometimes used in alcoholic drinks, Starr said, the idea being that “the essence of this great big strong hornet will go out into the booze, and when you drink it, you’ll become strong.”
That’s one way to get a buzz.
Spider wasps are pretty bad ass.
I was reading in that Asian giant wasp article that they think it’s unlikely that they are in the United States. Well, that’s some bull because I used to see them all the time when I lived in North Carolina. I have a friend that was stung by one and the wound looked all necro like a fiddleback spider bite.
Those spider wasps are cool. We have them around here and it’s pretty awesome to watch one take down a large spider. I’ve never seen a tarantula in our yard but we have some really big wolf spiders that they like to mess with.
Here’s my favorite insect. They are all over the place here in North Texas. Even though this little guy is missing a leg, I’m sure he’s still formidable.
I wouldn’t be surprised if some Asian giant wasps got to the U.S. on ships. If it’s conceivable, then most likely it’s happened already.
I love praying mantises. I’ve only seen them rarely, though. One night in Taiwan, I saw an enormous green mantis in some high grass near our hotel in Tianxiang, while traversing the East-West Cross-Island Highway (Hualien to Taichung).
I absolutely do NOT like a cousin of the mantis, the c0ckroach. That’s something I dreaded when I lived over there. They’re big, and they also fly at you sometimes. I am glad that praying mantises have been known to eat c0ckroaches, though.
[QUOTE=Jimbo;1251328]I absolutely do NOT like a cousin of the mantis, the c0ckroach. That’s something I dreaded when I lived over there. They’re big, and they also fly at you sometimes. I am glad that praying mantises have been known to eat c0ckroaches, though.[/QUOTE]
Gotta respect the resiliency though.
Hey Jimbo,
If you want to see more praying mantis in your area then you could visit your local plant nursery. The one we go to around here sells mantis cocoons which hatch about 200 each. 4 of those cocoons cost me about $25.00 last year and now I have praying mantis all over the place. It’s not like we didn’t have any mantis to begin with, it’s just that I wanted to make sure they were plentiful in our gardens.
GoldenBrain,
Thanks for the suggestion!
[QUOTE=Jimbo;1251338]GoldenBrain,
Thanks for the suggestion! :)[/QUOTE]
Anytime!
I did the same thing with dragonflies to help control mosquitoes. I just plopped a bunch of their eggs in the pond and now we have tons of cool ass dragonflies zipping around and virtually no mosquitoes. I’ve also introduced ladybugs, and a tiny parasitic wasp who’s name escapes me, to help control pests, so we don’t have to use insecticides. So far it’s been a raging success. I’m the only one in the area who hasn’t been overrun by squash bugs, aphids, grasshoppers and whatever that red bug is that eats up the tomatoes.
I said praying mantis is my favorite insect but I might have to change that to the dragonfly because they eat my least favorite insect, the mosquito.
Since we’re not actually going with “true” insects in this thread, leaf cutter ants. I can’t think, off the top of my head, of any other invertebrate that has such a complex and vital role over such a large span of ecosystem as Amazon leaf cutter ants.