# question about a wasp's ass

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-wasps-ass/125670>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 26, 2002, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-wasps-ass/125670 "2002-08-26T19:28:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-wasps-ass/125670/1 "2002-08-26T19:28:50Z")

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how does George F. Will keep his buns so spectacularly tight? is it the bow tie?

😕  
but seriously, folks. when a wasp is pulsing its thorax, what is it doing? they like throb it, very lambadishly, what is going on inside the wasp?

jb

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**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-wasps-ass/125670/2 "2002-08-26T19:36:29Z")

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Insects have open circulatory systems, and no active pumping mechanism in their breathing apparatus. When a wasp pumps it’s abdomen it’s probably to force blood around the body and/or to force air in and out of the network of trachea.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-wasps-ass/125670/3 "2002-08-26T19:41:39Z")

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The thorax is the “chest,” not the ass. The abdomen is the “ass.”

Most likely it is pumping its bodily fluids around. Insects don’t have a closed circulatory system. They have a heart of sorts, but no blood vessels. Instead the “hemolymph” (blood equivalent) mostly just sloshes around inside the body cavity, with some pumping from the heart to help it along. In an advanced, active insect like the wasp, flexing the exoskeleton probably helps to distribute nutrients and oxygen (distributed by the tracheal system) more quickly.

Does George Will have tight buns? I’ve only ever seen him in “talking head” mode.

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**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-wasps-ass/125670/4 "2002-08-26T19:44:23Z")

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Of course George Will is a tight ass.

He owns part of a major league baseball team, after all.

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**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-a-wasps-ass/125670/5 "2002-08-26T19:59:42Z")

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any idea why a wasp would do this [ass-pumping] more vigorously when tending to her nest? perhaps she doesn’t, but i notice that when she stops tending to her nest, the bum-throb lessens.

jb