Metapolybia cingulata
| Metapolybia cingulata | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Vespidae |
| Genus: | Metapolybia |
| Species: | M. cingulata |
| Binomial name | |
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Metapolybia cingulata Fabricius, 1804 |
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Metapolybia cingulata (Fabricius, 1804) is a species of social paper wasp known for having queens who exhibit usurpation behaviors and also for having flexible behavior groups. It is difficult to tell what a specific wasp's role is just upon observation. Therefore, dissections are usually performed in order to determine the sex, and thus the wasp's role in the colony. The regulating behavior, or nest building, most closely resembles that of primitive Polistes models where a queen solicits liquid from a fellow worker and then takes pulp to initiate building a cell without leaving the nest. In nest building, the amount of water present in the nest as well as the activity of the builders of the nests determines the activity of the colony.
Metapolybia cingulata is a member of the family Vespidae of eusocial wasps within the order Hymenoptera. Subfamily Polistinae is known commonly as "paper wasps". Genus Metapolybia contains 11 species, of which M. aztecoides is most notable.
M. cingulata presents a mostly dark or black coloration coupled with translucent wings attached to its back. The abdomen is very well defined and stems off a bit from the main body. Antennae protrude from the head, curving instead of sticking straight out. The only sources of yellow appear to be faint stripes around the abdomen and eyes.
This paper wasp is a tropical polygynous wasp that has been observed in many tropical climates.M. cingulata can be definitively found in South America, and in countries like Venezuela, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Their nests are typically found attached to the sides of buildings, firmly attached to one place.
Nests of Metapolybia cingulata tend to be found on or anchored to strong structures such as buildings. They typically consist of a comb, an envelope, and supporting structures.
Upon close observation of Metapolybia wasps, five different behaviors associated with constructing a nest have been identified: specialized water foragers, specialized pulp foragers, active builders, active generalists, and idle workers. These behaviors differ from the behaviors that are seen in normal, daily life of the colony.
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