But what would happen if all the wasps in the world just disappeared?

但如果世界上所有的黃蜂都消失了，會發生什麼呢？

Well, before you start celebrating,

好吧，在你開始慶祝之前，

let's have a little look at some of the lesser-known wonders of wasps.

讓我們來看看一些鮮為人知的黃蜂奇觀。

If there are no wasps, it's not just the insect that would be lost,

如果沒有黃蜂，損失的就不僅僅是昆蟲了。

but a complex society with some surprising similarities to our own.

但卻是一個複雜的社會，與我們的社會有一些驚人的相似之處。

All wasps have a role to fulfil -

所有的黃蜂都要發揮作用--

be it as a queen,

是作為一個女王。

or the wasp equivalent of a caretaker,

或相當於看家護院的黃蜂。

a guard, or even a nanny.

一個警衛，甚至是保姆。

They're also a lot smarter than we give them credit for.

他們也比我們想象的要聰明得多。

Some wasps can recognise each other's faces,

有些黃蜂能認出對方的臉。

so they know where they are in the hierarchy,

這樣他們就知道自己在哪一個階層。

and if they're friend or foe.

以及他們是朋友還是敵人。

And they can be trained to detect explosives and illegal drugs.

而且他們可以被訓練成偵測爆炸物和非法藥物。

Wasps are a key predator, and the loss of any predator

黃蜂是一種重要的捕食者，失去任何一種捕食者

would have a huge knock-on effect on the ecosystem.

會對生態系統產生巨大的連鎖反應。

This is because wasps protect plant life, crops, and other creatures

這是因為黃蜂保護植物、農作物和其他生物的原因

from spiders, millipedes, flies, caterpillars, aphids, and much more.

從蜘蛛、千足蟲、蒼蠅、毛蟲、蚜蟲等等。

In fact, they catch around 14 million kilograms worth of insects

事實上，他們捕獲了價值約1400萬公斤的昆蟲。

every year in the UK alone,

每年僅在英國。

most of which they take home to feed their young.

其中大部分被它們帶回家餵養幼崽。

So without wasps, you'd see many plants left unprotected,

所以如果沒有黃蜂，你會看到很多植物沒有保護。

and a big rise in the number of uninvited creatures in your home.

以及家中不請自來的生物數量大增。

The bee population has gone down significantly over the past 30 years

在過去的30年裡，蜜蜂的數量明顯減少了。

because of pesticides, changes in land use, and climate change.

因為殺蟲劑、土地使用的變化和氣候變化。

Wasps face a similar threat -

黃蜂也面臨著類似的威脅-

they just don't capture the public imagination in the same way.

他們只是不捕捉公眾的想象力以同樣的方式。

Studies show people associate bees with more positive, cuddly imagery -

研究表明，人們將蜜蜂與更積極、更可愛的形象聯繫在一起--。

like honey, flowers, and pollen.

如蜂蜜、花和花粉。

While wasps evoke more negative terms - like stinging, pain, and rage.

而黃蜂則喚起了更多的負面詞彙--比如刺痛、痛苦和憤怒。

But this is unfair

但這是不公平的

because wasps perform many of the same functions as bees

因為黃蜂和蜜蜂有很多相同的功能。

and wasps are crucial pollinators too.

而黃蜂也是至關重要的傳粉者。

In fact, if wasps didn't exist,

事實上，如果黃蜂不存在。

we'd lose over 100 different types of orchids and figs too.

我們也會失去100多種不同類型的蘭花和無花果。

That might not sound like a big deal,

這聽起來可能不是什麼大事。

but every species of fig relies on its own species

但每一種無花果都要靠自己的品種。

of pollinating fig wasp for fertilisation.

無花果蜂的授粉受精。

In turn, more than 1,000 tropical birds and mammals depend on figs -

反過來，超過1000種熱帶鳥類和哺乳動物依賴無花果----。

and therefore wasps - to survive.

是以，黃蜂--生存。

There are thousands of species of wasps out there,

黃蜂的種類有上千種。

most of which go about their business quietly.

其中大部分都在悄悄地做著自己的事情。

And only 1% of these are the type that buzz around your picnic.

而其中只有1%的人是會在你的野餐周圍嗡嗡作響的類型。

The most off-putting feature of the wasp is its ability to sting,

黃蜂最讓人討厭的特點是它能蜇人。

but that sting has some interesting features.

但那個刺有一些有趣的功能。

It contains a toxin,

它含有一種毒素。

which lab studies suggest could have anti-cancer properties.

實驗室研究表明，它可能具有抗癌特性。

So wasps have a lot to offer.

所以黃蜂有很多優點。

By the time they're out and after your ice cream,

等到他們出來，吃完你的冰激凌之後。

they're in the last throes of their life,

他們在生命的最後關頭。

which is only two weeks to a month long.

其中只有兩個星期到一個月的時間。

Because when the queen has no more need for them they have to leave -

因為當女王不再需要他們的時候，他們就必須離開-------。

confused, jobless, homeless, and desperate for a sugar fix.

糊塗、失業、無家可歸，急著要吃糖。

So let's give the wasps a break.

所以，我們還是讓黃蜂休息一下吧。

After all, without them we'd have more pests,

畢竟，如果沒有它們，我們會有更多的害蟲。

less biodiversity, and more global food insecurity.

生物多樣性減少，全球糧食更無保障。

So as much as it's our instinct to panic

所以，儘管我們本能地感到恐慌

and flap our arms whenever we see them, don't.

並每每見到他們就拍打我們的手臂，不要。

Stop and watch them

停下來，看著他們

and see just how amazing these disliked,

且看這些不喜歡的人有多神奇。

and wildly under-appreciated insects actually are.

和野生的不被重視的昆蟲其實是。

Thanks for watching.

謝謝你的觀看。

Don't forget to subscribe and click the bell to receive notifications for new videos.

不要忘了訂閱並點擊鈴鐺以接收新視頻的通知。

See you again soon!

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