Project:

Identifying Vespula Vulgaris population on Long Island

Students:

Alex Vargas, Mc Daphny Prezeau, Isis Rivas

School:

Westbury High School, Nassau

Mentors:

Marie Bettina Fantal-Pinckombe

Abstract:

In Long Island, many essential organisms support the food web and allow for the transfer of energy through complex ecological interactions. Vespula vulgaris (the common wasp), for example, plays an important role in local ecosystems as a natural pest controller and occasional pollinator. By feeding on insects,including many agricultural pests,V. vulgaris helps regulate populations that would otherwise damage crops and native plants. Its ecological niche includes both predation on small arthropods and pollination as it visits flowers for nectar. Long Island hosts a wide variety of wasp species, both native and invasive, many of which can be found in trees, shrubs, lawns, and gardens. The most commonly encountered species near human structures are yellowjackets (Vespula spp.) and paper wasps (Polistes spp.), which are social insects that build nests and can pose risks to people due to their venom. Despite being considered pests around homes, these wasps contribute significantly to ecosys

Team samples:

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