Wysp

About

Common Names

Wysp

Wysps are a scavenging omnivore which are found in nearly every climate and terrain. During the flowering seasons they collect nectar and pollen from plants. Some varieties produce honey in their nests. Most wysps are fairly docile while alone, but will be aggressive in defence of their nest.

Description

Classification

Arthropod, Insect

Size

10-30 millimetres (0.4-1.2 inches)

Appearance

Segmented body with 6 legs and a pair of wings. Articulated abdomen with sometimes present stinger.

Sexual dimorphism

Breeding females can be up to twice the size of males or non-breeding workers

Variance

Many varieties of wysps exist varied in size, body form, patterns, colouration, social behaviour, groupings, and presence of a stinging organ.

Ecology

Habitat

Sub-arctic to tropical, in nearly every biome where flowering plants can be found.

Diet

During flowering seasons, nectar and pollen. Fruit during fruiting season. Honey stored for winter months, also some species will prey on the eggs, larvae, and pupae of other insects.

Behaviour

Social grouping

Most wysps form colonies of dozens to thousands of members with a single breeding female, and a number of attendant males. The majority of the hive will be non-breeding females who fill the role of workers who feed the colony, and soldiers defending the colony.

Temperament

Generally oblivious, unless the hive/nest is threatened, then aggressive.

Intelligence

Individually negligible, but seem to have a hive/swarm intelligence.

Reproduction

Breeding females will mate with one or more males then can selectively fertilize eggs laid in specialized nest chambers for brooding. Fertilized eggs will develop into male wysps, and unfertilized eggs into infertile female wysps. A few female eggs will develop into queens, capable of breeding and forming their own colonies.

Sub-Species

Fruit Wysp

Fruit wysps will eat holes into ripening fruit and lay eggs inside. Their larva will then consume the fruit before pupating and emerging as adults.

Glow Wysp

The glow wysp is so named for its particular ability to produce a flashing glowing phosphorescence. They use this to communicate in low light. Glow wysps do not have a sting, but can bite in defence.

Honey Wysp

Honey wysps are best known for the sweet honey they produce and store in their nests. They will aggressively defend their nest if it is damaged, or entered by another creature.

Mud Wysp

This variety builds nest from daubs of mud forming complex structures with chambers for eggs and food storage.

Mud wysps are prized for the refined clay they build their nests out of. Certain specialties of the potters guild have domestic hives of these wysps and harvest the extremely fine clay, in a similar manner to the wax collected from honey wysps. This clay is reserved for specific delicate ceramic work, due in part to the low volume produced.

Paper Wysp

Variety of wysp which builds large globular nests from paper created from wood pulp and saliva.

Sting Wysp

Sting wysps are a very aggressive stinging insect which will swarm in defence of their nest. A creature targeted by the swarm will endure a flurry of stinging attacks. Some varieties of sting wysps will parasitize other insects by stinging them and laying eggs inside them, the resulting larva will consume the host slowly before pupating into adults.

Domestication

General

Wsyps make excellent pollinators for flowering crops, and hive make be encouraged or actively maintained for this purpose. In addition honey wysps produce wax combs to store concentrated food in a thick golden syrup.

Basic interactions with, and the dangers they present are similar and mostly trivial. Protective clothing made from supple leather, and fine netting is common, as is the use of smoke from burning certain herbs to subdue the wysps. Wysp bane is a plant which the juice from crushed leaves is repellant to wysps, making it an useful alternative to smoke.

Resources

Honey, Pollen, Wax

Stories

Charm (fifty word fantasy)