Bald-faced hornet to laying eggs while the workers take over all other necessary housekeeping tasks. At some point, sometime before the midpoint of colony life, the colony will begin to invest energy in producing reproductives as well. This marks the transition into the reproductive stage. There is an extensive time period where both workers and reproductives are raised. Production of both castes limits the size of the work force. However, an early switching time is highly adaptive for social wasp colonies in limiting the risk of total loss. In a sampling of 50 colonies taken in Maryland in 1977, workers were produced
Hornet robberfly Wales. It is reliant on the availability of rabbit or cattle dung. It is a member of the robberfly family Asilidae, subfamily Asilinae and is included in the list of endangered species in the British Isles. Hornet robberfly The hornet robberfly, Asilus crabroniformis, is a species of predatory insect of the Asilidae family. Reaching more than 25 mm in body length, it is one of the largest flies in the United Kingdom. and feeds on grasshoppers, dung beetles and other flies. Unlike an actual hornet, the robberfly only has one yellow patch on its abdomen and one pair of wings.