I love vultures, mosquitoes and, yes, even wasps. This is why you should too | Jo Wimpenny

"Bees are positively associated with honey, flowers and pollination, while wasps are negatively associated with stings, pain and annoyance—all this despite the fact that bees obviously can sting, while wasps are important pollinators, too. It's the same for other animal pairs: sharks are mindless killers, while dolphins are paragons of benevolence; vultures are ugly and sinister, while eagles are majestic."

"Wasps are chronically overlooked pollinators, which shouldn't be surprising when we consider that evolutionarily, a lineage of wasps gave rise to bees. They're also free and very effective pest controllers. Parasitic wasps are specialist assassins and they're already being deployed in agriculture; social wasps (including the stripey, familiar nuisances) are generalist predators and will take out aphids, caterpillars, moths and more."

"The global fear of sharks massively outstrips how much harm they cause: last year, there were 65 unprovoked shark bites, resulting in 12 deaths. Each is a tragedy, but the level of alarm and sensationalism embedded in most news stories is not just overblown."

Human emotional responses to animals are often irrational and based on cultural associations rather than facts. Bees are viewed favorably while wasps are feared, despite both being pollinators and both capable of stinging. Similar biases exist with other animal pairs like sharks versus dolphins and vultures versus eagles. Wasps are chronically undervalued despite their ecological importance. They are effective pollinators—evolutionarily, a wasp lineage gave rise to bees—and provide free pest control. Parasitic wasps target specific pests while social wasps hunt aphids, caterpillars, and moths. Fear of sharks vastly exceeds actual harm caused, with only 65 unprovoked bites and 12 deaths recorded annually. Rational fear should match genuine threat levels.

Read at www.theguardian.com