Synoeca surinama
| Synoeca surinama | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Superfamily: | Vespoidea |
| Family: | Vespidae |
| Subfamily: | Polistinae |
| Tribe: | Epiponini |
| Genus: | Synoeca |
| Species: | S. surinama |
| Binomial name | |
|
Synoeca surinama (Linnaeus, 1767) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Vespa surinama Linnaeus, 1767 |
|
Vespa surinama Linnaeus, 1767
Vespa nigricornis Olivier, 1792
Polistes coerulea Fabricius, 1804
Synoeca surimana Zavattari, 1906 Lapsus calami
Synoeca surinamensis Vesey-Fitzgerald, 1939 Lapsus calami
Synoeca surinama is a Neotropical swarm-founding wasp of the tribe Epiponini. It is known for its metallic blue and black appearance and painful sting.S. surinama builds nests on tree trunks and can be found in tropical climates of South America. When preparing to swarm, there are a number of pre-swarming behaviors that members of S. surinama colonies partake in, such as buzzing runs and occasional brood cannibalism. In S. surinama, social environmental conditions determine the caste ranks of individuals in the developing brood. Unlike less primitive Hymenoptera species, S. surinama display little morphological variation between egglaying queens and workers.S. surinama wasps visit flowering plants and are considered pollinators. When these wasps sting, the stinger is left in the victim and the wasp ultimately dies. Additionally, S. surinama wasps produce extremely painful stings.
The genus Synoeca is small, monophyletic, and is made up of the five species S. chalibea, S. virginea, S. septentrionalis, S. surinama, and S. cyanea. The sister species of S. surinama within the genus is S. cyanea.
S. surinama is a medium-sized wasp that is blueish-black in color and can appear metallic in certain light. It has dark, almost black wings. Like other members of the genus Synoeca, S. surinama has several specific identifying characteristics. More specifically, the head of S. surinama has a projecting vertex. Within the Synoeca genus, there is some variation regarding how concentrated punctation (small markings or spots) is on the first abdominal segment (propodeum). Unlike S. chalibea and S. virginea, which have dense propodeal punctation, S. surinama, S. cyanea, and S. septentrionalis have less dorsal and lateral propodeal punctation.
Nests of S. surinama are made from short chip material, rather than the long fibers used by some other Synoeca species. The comb has an anchored, pulp foundation, and the envelope is reinforced by blots. These nests do not have a secondary envelope, and the primary envelope is not as wide on the bottom as it is on the top. The nests also have a central dorsal ridge and a keel, rather than a groove. The entrances to S. surinama nests are formed as a separate structure away from the last gap, have a short, collar-like structure, and are centrally located toward the periphery of the envelope. Secondary combs are either absent or contiguous with the primary comb, and comb expansion occurs gradually. During nest construction, most cells are laid out before the envelope is closed.
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Wikipedia