评论
打印
Wasps have a pretty nasty reputation.
黄蜂的名声相当差劲。
When it comes to protecting their nests, they can be quite aggressive, which isn't really their fault.
保护巢穴时的它们会相当具有攻击性，但这其实不是它们的错。
They're just protecting their home and their families. But that's a whole different thing.
它们只是在保护自己的家园和家人。但那是完全不同的事情。
See, as mean as these animals might appear, they're not always in anger mode.
这些动物看起来卑鄙，但它们并不总是处于愤怒模式。
In the fall, some species chill out and get together for what could only be called "wasp parties!"
在秋天，一些物种会放松下来，它们会聚在一起参加“黄蜂派对”。
And much like our parties, these soirees can provide some fascinating insights into their social lives.
就像我们的聚会一样，这些聚会也能让我们对它们的社交生活有更深入的了解。
People often report seeing large gatherings of paper wasps as summer slides into winter.
人们常说，在夏季进入冬季之时，会看到大量胡蜂聚集在一起。
But these aren't aggressive swarms. Instead, the wasps just sort of seem to be hanging out.
但这些并不是好斗的蜂群，这些黄蜂似乎只是在闲逛。
This lesser-known part of the wasps' life cycle is called pre-hibernation.
黄蜂生命周期中的这个鲜为人知的部分叫做冬眠前。
See, wasp colonies pop up in the spring, each started by one or more females which are called foundresses.
蜂群在春天突然出现，每一个蜂群都由一个或多个被称为“奠基者”的雌蜂领导。
By the summer, the colony is full of workers bustling about to take care of the eggs and babies that the foundresses produce.
到了夏天，蜂群中全是忙着照顾女奠基者产下的受精卵和蜂宝宝的工蜂。
Then, as summer ends, the colony collapses. The sterile workers die.
然后随着夏季结束，殖民地崩溃，不育的工蜂死亡。
The males mate with the remaining fertile females. And then, the males die, too.
雄蜂和剩下的可孕雌蜂交配，然后雄蜂也会死亡。
And these mated females—all potential queens called gynes—will spend the winter hibernating,
这些配对的雌蜂—都是潜在的蜂后，被称为gynes—整个冬天都在冬眠，
waiting to start the whole yearly cycle over again when the flowers bloom.
等待花开的时候，整个一年的循环又开始了。
But in some places, temperatures stay warm enough that they still have some time before they have to settle in.
但在一些温度足够温暖的地方，它们在冬眠前还有一些时间。
So, they gather in groups, especially near the tops of tall structures.
所以它们聚在一起，尤其是在高层建筑的顶部附近。
No one's really sure what it is about tallness that they're attracted to, but they sure seem to like the roofs of silos or the tips of telephone poles.
没人知道它们为什么钟情于高度，但它们似乎很喜欢筒仓的屋顶或电线杆的顶端。
Sometimes it's just a handful of wasps; and sometimes, it's hundreds.
有时只是少量黄蜂，有时是数百只。
It's thought that these numbers might help keep them safe from predators and from the coming cold.
人们认为数量可能有助于保护它们免受捕食者的捕获和即将到来的寒冷。
And for decades, many entomologists assumed these gatherings were pretty boring.
几十年来，很多昆虫学家认为这些聚会相当无聊。
But it turns out that much like human parties, there are some fascinating social dynamics going on.
但事实证明和人类聚会一样，它们的聚会中也有一些迷人的社会动态正在发生。
With no nests to defend, the wasps are pretty docile—not only toward intruders like us, but also towards each other.
不用守护巢穴，黄蜂们相当温顺—不仅是对像我们这样的入侵者，对彼此也是。
They'll chill alongside individuals from multiple colonies, and sometimes multiple species.
它们会和来自多个群落，有时甚至是多个物种的个体一起放松。
And even though they're all potential queens, a new social hierarchy forms.
尽管它们都是潜在的女王，但一种新的社会等级制度形成了。
The wasps have been observed biting, lunging, and mounting each other, though no one gets badly hurt or kicked out of the group.
有人观察到黄蜂互相撕咬、扑向对方、爬上对方的身体，不过没有一只会受到严重伤害，也不会被赶出群体。
They're just establishing who's in charge. Some scientists have even characterized this behavior as playing.
它们只是在确定谁是老大。一些科学家将这种行为描述为玩耍。
Much like puppies or kittens, these wasps may be play fighting, because in this low-stress environment,
就像猫猫狗狗一样，这些黄蜂可能只是在玩闹，因为在这种低压环境中，
they can practice the skills they'll need to establish who's the boss in the spring.
它们可以练习所需技巧以便确定春天的老大。
But that's not to say that there are no stakes in these games.
但这并不是说这些游戏没有赌注。
See, the females who lose these competitions act subordinate for the rest of the party,
在比赛中输掉的雌蜂就成了其他雌蜂的附属品，
and some even fetch food for the group like workers in colonies usually do!
一些甚至还会像工蜂一样为大家找食物！
And these social interactions seem to influence who wins in the long run.
这些社会互动似乎会影响到谁是最终赢家。
The lowest ranking wasps rarely survive the winter.
排名垫底的雌蜂几乎活不过冬天。
And the more dominant a wasp is during pre-hibernation, the more likely she is to become the dominant foundress of a colony in the spring.
冬眠前，越占优势的黄蜂就越有可能在春天成为殖民地中占主导地位的奠基者。
Entomologists have noted that the highest-ranking wasps at the parties show the traits that identify dominant foundresses,
昆虫学家注意到聚会中排名最高的黄蜂拥有占主导地位的奠基者的特制
such as larger ovaries and a bigger body size.
如更大的卵巢和更大的体型。
So, these chill gatherings may actually serve as early testing grounds where the wasps practice the social hierarchy that will benefit them later.
所以这些聚会或许其实是早期的试验场，黄蜂在那里实践社会等级制度，这将有利于将来。
Far from being a boring time when the wasps are just waiting around,
当黄蜂只是在附近等待的时候，这段时间绝不无聊，
it may be that pre-hibernation is an essential step in preparing future foundresses for spring.
或许冬眠前这段时间是为来年春天的奠基者做准备的必经之路。
So if you come across a swarm of laid-back wasps this fall, don't be a buzzkill.
所以，如果你今年秋天遇到一群懒散的黄蜂，不要做一个扫兴的人。
Leave them alone so they can ring in the winter their way. Thanks for watching!
让它们自己呆着，这样它们可以在冬天按自己的方式鸣叫。感谢收看！
If you want to learn more about wasps and why they're actually really awesome,
如果想更多地了解黄蜂以及它们的惊讶之处，
you should check out our video on what would happen if we killed them all. And don't forget to subscribe!
你应该观看关于灭绝黄蜂会发生什么的视频。不要忘记订阅我们的频道！
