Wasps, which belong to the Hymenoptera order that includes bees and ants, have different lifespan and survival abilities depending on their type and role within the colony. That said, it's important to note that the length of time a wasp can survive without food is influenced by several factors, including species, age, and overall health.
Adult wasps primarily feed on nectar, so their diet is high in sugar. They also feed insects and arthropods to their larvae. Worker wasps, the ones typically seen buzzing around outside the nest, also partake in a sugary secretion produced by the larvae. As larvae feed on chewed up insects brought back by the adult wasps, they excrete a sugar-rich spit that provides adult wasps with the necessary nutrients.
In terms of survival absent food, it's difficult to establish a specific timeframe. Most adult wasps, deprived of their regular nutrition, would likely survive only a few days. This is because their metabolic processes, required to undertake constant foraging, nest maintenance, defense, and in some species, care for the queen and larvae, require large amounts of energy. Without proper nourishment, the wasp will quickly exhaust its stored energy reserves and die.
Worker wasps generally have a shorter lifespan than queens. They live for around 12-22 days in optimal conditions, but this period can be shorter if food supplies are limited. The limited lifespan also emphasizes the high turnover built into a wasp colony, with fresh workers continuously produced by the queen.
Queens, or fertile females capable of laying eggs, have more protracted lives. They often overwinter, which means they live through the winter to start new colonies in the spring. During this hibernation-like period, they are dormant and do not need to eat. Nonetheless, they feed intensively before this phase to build up sufficient fat reserves to live without food for months. However, this is not a typical indicator of how long wasps can live without food, as it reflects a specific adaptation to seasonal changes rather than a wasp's general ability to survive without nourishment.
Pupae and larvae, the immature stages, are dependent on food provided by the workers. Without steady feeding, these individuals would perish much quicker, probably within several days, though this can vary between species.
It's important to remember that these are generalizations and that the lifespan of a wasp without food can vary greatly depending on various situation-specific factors such as environmental conditions.