Abstract
The social biology of the wasp Parischnogaster striatula has been studied in Peninsular Malaysia. This species shows the main characteristics of hover wasps (Vespidae, Stenogastrinae) which set them aside from the other social Vespidae. These include the use of an abdominal secretion in brood rearing, the three-phase egg deposition and the presence of only four larval instars. Colonies are invariably small sized and on average 1.92 females on the nests present developed ovaries. Colony life revolves around a dominant female, which has developed ovaries and spends most of her time on the nest. Since visual cues were recently found in two different species of Liostenogaster (Stenogastrinae), we also looked for a possible badge of status in these wasps but with negative results.
Highlights
The Stenogastrinae represent a sub-family of social wasps belonging to the family Vespidae (Carpenter 1982; Hines et al 2007; Turillazzi 2012)
Parischnogaster striatula is a common species belonging to the “striatula group” together with P. alternata characterized by a petiole of the gaster only about as long as wide, clypeus narrowly separated from eye and posterior ocelli separated at most one ocellus diameter
Contrary to the close-related species P. alternata, P. striatula builds her nests in open places, attaching them to thread-like suspensions such as rootlets, thin stems and artificial wires, usually in positions sheltered from the rain
Summary
The Stenogastrinae represent a sub-family of social wasps belonging to the family Vespidae (Carpenter 1982; Hines et al 2007; Turillazzi 2012). Stenogastrinae are endemic to the Indo-Malaysian area and comprise 57 described species belonging to seven genera with Eustenogaster van der Vecht, 1969, Liostenogaster van der Vecht, 1969 and Parischnogaster Schultess, 1914 showing the highest number of species described so far. The very close relationship between P. striatula and P. alternata was recently confirmed by comparing the shape of their forewings (Baracchi et al 2011). Colonies of this species are common in sheltered niches along forest roads or trails, or under the vaults of caves and human buildings, mainly small gazebos, where thread-like suspensions are present
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