Social
Wasps
The general term
"wasp" covers several groups of insects belonging to the Aculeate Hymenoptera .
Really, the term "wasp" should only be used for members of the family Vespidae.
According to the most recent classification, this is composed of 6 subfamilies: the
Masarinae, Eumeninae (or potter wasps), Euparaginae, Stenogastrinae, Polistinae and
Vespinae. Only the last three groups are eusocial.
What
do we mean by eusociality,
a term coined specially for insect societies? A eusocial colony is one in which the single
members raise their brood in common, show a division of labour (of the reproductive type,
where some individuals reproduce whilst others do not but help the others to reproduce)
and where there is an overlap of generations (in other words the offspring stay with their
parents). These, or similar, characteristics are only found in a few orders of insects:
Hymenoptera, Isoptera, Thysanoptera and Homopteran Hemiptera – and perhaps in one
Coleopteran.
Polistes
(paper wasps)
The group of wasps
most studied for their behaviour are the genus Polistes, which are found all over the world. Their colonies are
characteristically fairly small (with a maximum of a hundred or so adults) and their nests
consist of single comb of cells without an envelope. The most common species in Italy is Polistes dominulus. It builds it nests
mostly on buildings or man made objects (which is why it is often in conflict with the
human residents!)
A colony under
observation
The colony under observation is composed of two
female foundresses (which have been marked with a white and red dots of model enamel paint
to tell them apart).
The most
interesting behaviours
Egg laying
Cell inspection
Feeding the larvae
Dominance interactions
Building the nest
Chemical defence of the nest
Chemical marking of the nest
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