Tiny creatures moving differently often attracted me in my childhood. Unlike the insects' movements, they creep on the ground and move slowly, and don't fly at all. One of them is Caterpillar (Larva, 'Puzhu' in Tamil). These caterpillars are different from worms; they are only the intermediary forms in the development of insects from eggs to the adult forms, the insects.
Recently, I was stung twice by wasps unusually. I got the second stinging when I tested the wasps whether they differentiate between my body odours or between the colours of my dress. The result of the test, apart from having a stinging, is only that the wasps have become aggressive recently! This kind of wasp is the Paper Wasp (Ropalidia marginata, Vespa ferruginea, 'Sengulavi' in Tamil). These social wasps are much different from other wasps. I find them often build nests in the dark undisturbed storerooms, inside rain water pipes and also even inside the bedrooms!
In the months of June or July I see the busy activities of wasps in and around the house. Every year certain kind of wasps builds their nest on the ceiling of the dark lumbar room. They first attach a short stem made of fiber to the ceiling (like that of a ceiling fan). Then they start building cells made with paper like light material. This material is got by mixing saliva and fiber got from dead woods. The whole nest remains suspended from the stem dangling. Usually the female wasps build the nest and rear the larvae in the cells. These are the Paper Wasps (Polistes fuscatus). They are ferocious; but remain calm except when you disturb their nest. They will be observing you as you approach; when you disturb they will fly, fall on you and sting before you become conscious of the attack, and you shall come to know about it only after feeling the sting pain hurting. Moreover, once the nest is established the wasps will defend it for your any move to drive them out. In fact they will drive you out! To get rid of them, the nest with all the wasps and their larvae must be destroyed with fire. Because, even if a few wasps are left out they will build again a nest at the same site!
