Wasp

"You really were a fool to come back into the Hive. And for what? A little bit of graffiti, a few pamphlets that will be ash by evening? Poor naïve little dragonet. As though anyone would believe you over their queen."

— Queen Wasp to Cricket, The Hive Queen

Wasp is an adult female HiveWing who was introduced in The Lost Continent. During the Tree Wars, she attempted to exterminate the LeafWings and became ruler of the SilkWings alongside her own tribe. She can control nearly all of her HiveWing subjects using the othermind, and rules Pantala through this ability as well as through militaristic and propagational force. She currently resides in Wasp Hive.

Appearance

Wasp has black and yellow stripes, black horns, and large and completely black eyes that are surrounded by an oval of yellow scales. She is enormous, radiating menace, and she has a chilly voice. Some propaganda posters show her with stingers extending from her claws. She also has a stinger in her tail, unknown to nearly everyone.

Personality

Wasp is twisted, selfish and a megalomaniac. She lied to her tribe for years about the Book of Clearsight's true nature, telling her subjects that the LeafWings were meant to die out and that Clearsight had wanted the SilkWings to fall under HiveWing control, although the book's prophecies ended almost a thousand years ago. She refused to let any member of her tribes beside herself and the Librarian see the book. However, it was only Wasp who knew, since she used her mind-control powers to permanently possess the Librarian, so the book's secrets could never be shared. Wasp is very cold, cruel, and ruthless. She doesn't care about other dragons or the two tribes she rules (particularly the SilkWings).

As a racial supremacist, Wasp does have a softer spot for her fellow HiveWings. However, they aren't spared entirely as shown when she labeled Cricket (a fellow HiveWing) a traitor since the latter could resist mind-control and opposed Wasp's ideology. Furthermore, Wasp learned sometime later that Cricket was the product of Katydid and Malachite's romantic relationship (outlawed by her). There are several other examples of how limited Wasp affections towards her own dragons shown throughout the series. She has no qualms punishing other dragonets, even members of her own species, for having parents partnered up without the former's permission, even if the forbidden dragonet in question does not pose a threat to Wasp's reign or ideology. Wasp is vindictive and strikes back the moment she is struck. The breath of evil describes her as all poison from the core out.

Biography

The Lost Continent Prophecy

The Lost Continent

Blue mentioned early in the book that he had seen the queen only once when she visited Cicada Hive to inspect Silkworm Hall. He claimed that she once paused and stared at him and Luna, giving him the distinct feeling that "she was trying to decide between adopting them or eating them." Later, when Blue and Io tried to escape Cicada Hive, Wasp used her mind-control ability on the HiveWing families in the park, including Katydid, Bombardier, Aphid, and more, to capture Blue and bring him to her. The attempt in capturing Blue proved ultimately unsuccessful with the help of Cricket. She kept the search for them going over several days, evidently sleeping during the nights. When Blue, Cricket, and a disguised Sundew entered Wasp Hive to steal the Book of Clearsight, they discovered that the Librarian, who occupied the greatest position in HiveWing history, was being constantly mind-controlled by Wasp. Sundew was able to take the mind control out of the Librarian momentarily by using a bullet ant to bite her, because they are known for the most painful sting, and gave her so much pain that Wasp's control over her broke. However, while the Librarian helped them escape with the Book of Clearsight, she suddenly became mind-controlled again, likely because Wasp did not want to lose her grip on the tribe by having the secrets of the Book spilled out by the Librarian, or because she saw that the Librarian was painless through another HiveWing's eyes.

The Hive Queen

When Blue, Cricket, Sundew, and Swordtail crept into the Jewel Hive, Cricket suspected the helmeted guards were under Wasp's control, although this is never confirmed. Later, more mind-controlled guards ambushed Jewel Hive's Chrysalis in the library, though Cinnabar and Tau covered for the others. Wasp later made her first actual appearance, searching for Katydid in Scarab's mansion. When Cricket vandalized Jewel Hive, she was caught by guards controlled by Wasp, and they threatened to "fix" Cricket. Wasp then "inspected" the eggs inside the Jewel Hive Nest, with Cricket secretly watching. There, Cricket found out how Wasp mind-controlled the HiveWings: by poisoning them with her tail stinger, which was unknown to the tribe, likely because she didn't want dragons figuring it out and hiding their eggs. Cricket figured poisoning unhatched dragonets was faster and more effective than when they were grown. Later, Sundew determined the source of Wasp's poison through Bumblebee's eggshell: the breath of evil plant in the queen's restricted greenhouse, which Blue later burned down, possibly destroying Wasp's only source of the breath of evil vine.

The Poison Jungle

Queen Wasp indirectly appeared in the book when LeafWing guards appeared in the treetops carrying a HiveWing prisoner blindfolded and tied up, which prompted Hazel to note that they must be at the riverside of the jungle already, and Wasp confirmed it by speaking through the HiveWing's mind, claiming that she would kill them all and finish what they started. As the prisoner tried to break free, Wasp continued speaking through his mind, claiming she knew who Cricket's father was and subtly threatened to kill him. Later, when Hawthorn was revealed to be controlled by the othermind, at first, Sundew accused Wasp of controlling him, but the othermind revealed that in reality, Wasp was just controlled by them as well all along, confirming her to be controlled by the othermind, and not the other way around.

Relationships

Cricket

Wasp thinks of Cricket as a traitorous HiveWing since Wasp cannot control Cricket, as well as Cricket stealing the Book of Clearsight alongside Blue and Sundew. After Cricket vandalized Jewel Hive, she had threatened to "fix" Cricket.

Jewel

Wasp thinks Jewel is stupid, annoying, and weak, and not a threat to her power, despite the fact that she couldn't be controlled. It is mentioned by Scarab that she has threatened to add Jewel to her Hive mind. Scarab also said that Jewel acted like a "vapid banana slug" whenever Wasp was around, most likely to keep Wasp from getting too suspicious.

Malachite

Wasp controls Malachite and parades him past Scarab whenever she can, as punishment. She also threatened Cricket by saying that she'd kill him.

Scarab

Wasp and Scarab have an intense mutual dislike for each other. Wasp threatened to kill Scarab in The Hive Queen.

Family Tree

Cicada

Unknown

Several Generations

Unknown

Cochineal

Scarab

Unknown

Bloodworm

Cicada

Hornet

Mantis

Jewel

Unknown

Tsetse

Vinegaroon

Wasp

Yellowjacket

Unnamed Dragons

Quotes

"What strange treason is this? […] Why can't I get inside your mind, worm?"

― to Cricket, speaking through the Librarian

---

"No, […] it's all true. I can control all of them. That's why every dragon in the Hive is on their way to surround the temple right now. I can't move the guards you paralyzed, but I can reach everyone else. The moment you step outside this temple, they will kill you all."

― to Sundew about her mind control through the Librarian

---

"Oh, I see your game, […] I can take a lot more pain than a broken arm, though. I'm not afraid of anything you can do to this body."

― to Sundew through the Librarian about the bullet ants

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"Come out, you sniveling cowards! I know there are dragons hiding in this library! Show yourselves, or I will burn all the books until you die choking on the smoke."

― to Cricket, Blue, Sundew, and Swordtail through a HiveWing

---

"Then we'll have to throw you into it to slow the flames. You are a tedious talonwringer. I'll do it myself."

― through a HiveWing to a guard that asked what to do if the fire spreads

---

"That was easier than I expected. You really were a fool to come back into a Hive. And for what? A little bit of graffiti, a few pamphlets that will be ash by evening? Poor naive little dragonet. As though anyone would believe you over their queen. It must have been so hard for you. Feeling so different, so alone. Watching everyone else come together in my Hive mind, but always left out. But I have good news for you, little dragon. You don't have to be different anymore. I can fix you. I'm on my way right now. And when I get there … I can make you just like everybody else. Aren't you lucky? See you soon, little problem dragon."

― through some guards to Cricket

---

"That little worm Cricket is here, isn't she? […] The one who thinks she's so very clever, with her pamphlets and graffiti and rumors. Guess what, Cricket? I figured it out. I know who your father is. And he's mine, all mine, and I could kill him in a heartbeat if I wanted to. Or I could let you meet him. Would you like that? Wouldn't you like to come back to Wasp Hive so I … can …"

― through Inchworm to Cricket

Trivia

• Tui jokingly hinted in a Scholastic thread that her downstairs bathroom was once like the continent of Pantala, because "there was a wasp in there and so the room now belonged to the wasp forever."
• Queen Wasp has still not ever personally said a single word in the series. All of her speaking as of The Poison Jungle is through her subjects.
• Tui stated in a Home Base Q&A that Wasp is her favorite villain.
• It is said in The Lost Continent that she only eats predators, although this is a rumor.

Gallery

• Reference by SpaceshipEarth
  Reference by SpaceshipEarth