what role do wasps play in the ecosystem? i know bees pollinate and I’ve heard ppl say wasps are important too/shouldn’t be slandered, but idk what exactly they do :0c
There are thousands and thousands of species of wasps all over the world and they often have vastly different ecological roles! But wasps are most certainly pollinators, in addition to being predators, and a TON of wasps are parasitoids of other bugs. Pollination is obviously important to help plants, and predation and parasitism are important for population control. They even help with decomposition/cleanup of dead animals because a lot of them will remove pieces of flesh from carcasses to feed to their larvae. Plus they are often food for other animals! A great majority of wasps can't even sting so they don't pose much of a threat to predators who want to eat them. Social/stinging wasps are a very VERY small portion of wasp species.
