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What good do wasps do beyond interrupting picnics?

Some wasps hunt insects that damage crops, a role easy to overlook during a picnic. Experiments with a species of paper wasp investigated that predation directly. Explore what would make a predator useful for crop protection, and why findings about one species do not describe every wasp.

3–5 min

Questions you could explore

  • What would researchers need to measure before calling a predator useful for crop protection?
  • How do different wasp species' diets and life cycles affect the roles they play in an ecosystem?

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How does a honey bee dance give directions?

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How does a honey bee dance give directions?

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How can an octopus change color so quickly?

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Finding prey through returning echoes

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Finding prey through returning echoes

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