Megan Eckles and her colleagues at UC San Diego wondered whether yellowjacket wasps would warm their wing muscles when they found a particularly good source of protein, like meat.
She traveled to Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii where invasive western yellowjackets' appetite for protein has devasted local populations of spiders and insects. Here, Eckles waits for wasps by a meaty bait, ready to test that idea.
Photo credit: Megan Eckles, UC San Diego
News story:
Wasps & Bumble Bees Heat Up, Fly Faster
RELATED
* Web site: Bee Lab
* Journal article: Yellowjackets thermoregulate
* Video: Hot bumble bees
* Related journal article: Bumble bees heat up