Nest Founding Research Articles

Si no puedes soportar el calor, ¡sal de la cocina! Notas sobre la influencia de la temperatura en el anidamiento de avispas sociales

For social wasps, the selection of the nesting substrate represents the success or failure of the colony, and temperature is a determining factor for this selection. With the increase in global temperature due to climate change, it is essential to understand how temperature actually interferes in the selection of the foundation site of social wasp colonies. Here, we describe a curious nest founding strategy on a rocky outcrop in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Social wasps selected the lighter areas of the outcrop where they had greater success in developing their colonies. These lighter areas absorb less heat and had a lower average temperature when compared to darker areas.

Optimal fissioning strategies of social insects with respect to colony dynamics and nest founding probability

Social insects demonstrate two fundamentally different modes of reproduction, independent colony foundation (ICF) by single fertilized queens or dependent colony foundation (DCF) by fissioning of existing colonies into two or several new colonies (swarms). In some species, both reproductive modes occur in parallel. The benefits and disadvantages of DCF vs. ICF have been widely discussed and been subject to empirical studies, but a formal theoretical treatment of the topic is still incomplete. Taking honey bees as example, we provide a resource allocation model of colony dynamics to analyze the ecological conditions under which DCF may be favored over ICF. Using mathematical and numerical methods, we show that it critically depends on the survivorship function linking swarm size to the probability of swarm establishment whether ICF or DCF results in a higher output of surviving new colonies. Because building larger swarms requires larger inter-swarm time intervals, DCF can only be a better strategy if this disadvantage is over-compensated for by a strong size-dependent swarm survivorship and survival of single queens is very low. Colony growth rate has no effect on this decision and the impact of maximum possible colony size is negligible. Further, there is a discontinuity in the optimal swarm size, so that either a swarm size of 1 (ICF) is the best strategy, or emitting swarms of considerable size (DCF). Consequently, a direct evolutionary transition from ICF to DCF appears unlikely and may have been triggered by selective pressures promoting movement of complete nests or distributing single colonies over several nests (polydomy).

Highly diverse cuticular hydrocarbon profiles but no evidence for aggression towards non-kin in the ambrosia beetle Xyleborinus saxesenii.

Animal societies use nestmate recognition to protect against social cheaters and parasites. In most social insect societies, individuals recognize and exclude any non-nestmates and the roles of cuticular hydrocarbons as recognition cues are well documented. Some ambrosia beetles live in cooperatively breeding societies with farmed fungus cultures that are challenging to establish, but of very high value once established. Hence, social cheaters that sneak into a nest without paying the costs of nest foundation may be selected. Therefore, nestmate recognition is also expected to exist in ambrosia beetles, but so far nobody has investigated this behavior and its underlying mechanisms. Here we studied the ability for nestmate recognition in the cooperatively breeding ambrosia beetle Xyleborinus saxesenii, combining behavioural observations and cuticular hydrocarbon analyses. Laboratory nests of X. saxesenii were exposed to foreign adult females from the same population, another population and another species. Survival as well as the behaviours of the foreign female were observed. The behaviours of the receiving individuals were also observed. We expected that increasing genetic distance would cause increasing distance in chemical profiles and increasing levels of behavioural exclusion and possibly mortality. Chemical profiles differed between populations and appeared as variable as in other highly social insects. However, we found only very little evidence for the behavioural exclusion of foreign individuals. Interpopulation donors left nests at a higher rate than control donors, but neither their behaviours nor the behaviours of receiver individuals within the nest showed any response to the foreign individual in either of the treatments. These results suggest that cuticular hydrocarbon profiles might be used for communication and nestmate recognition, but that behavioural exclusion of non-nestmates is either absent in X. saxesenii or that agonistic encounters are so rare or subtle that they could not be detected by our method. Additional studies are needed to investigate this further.

Life history, nest longevity, sex ratio, and nest architecture of the fungus-growing ant Mycetosoritis hartmanni (Formicidae: Attina).

Mycetosoritis hartmanni is a rarely collected fungus-farming ant of North America. We describe life history and nest architecture for a M. hartmanni population in central Texas, USA. Colonies are monogynous with typically less than 100 workers (average 47.6 workers, maximum 148 workers). Nests occur always in sand and have a uniform architecture with 1-3 underground garden chambers arranged along a vertical tunnel, with the deepest gardens 50-70 cm deep. Foragers are active primarily between April and October. After reduced activity between November and February, egg laying by queens resumes in April, and the first worker pupae develop in early June. Reproductive females and males are reared primarily in July and August, with proportionally more females produced early in summer (protogyny). Mating flights and founding of new nests by mated females occur in late June to August, but may extend through September. For a cohort of 150 established nests (nests that had survived at least one year after nest founding), the estimated mortality rate was 0.41-0.53, the estimated average lifespan for these nests was 1.9-2.5 years, and the longest-living nests were observed to live for 6 years. These life-history parameters for M. hartmanni in central Texas are consistent with information from additional M. hartmanni nests observed throughout the range of this species from eastern Louisiana to southern Texas. Throughout its range in the USA, M. hartmanni can be locally very abundant in sun-exposed, sandy soil. Abundance of M. hartmanni seems so far relatively unaffected by invasive fire ants, and at present M. hartmanni does not appear to be an endangered species.

Contrasting effects of landscape on nest founding and colony success of bumble bees in a mixed‐crop agroecosystem

Abstract Nest‐founding bumble bee queens search landscapes broadly for a nest site, whose later‐developed workers are constrained to foraging around the nest. Landscape could therefore have different influences on nest site selection and subsequent colony success. Additionally, the density of bumble bees in a landscape reflects the product of their nest density and nest success. To examine separate landscape effects on nest density and success, we examined nest occupancy (reflecting nest density) and colony size (reflecting nest success) using ground‐installed nest boxes placed adjacent to blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) fields in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Nest‐searching queens occupied 59% of these boxes. We classified landscapes in a 1.5 km radius of colonies using habitats of a priori relevance to bumble bees: beneficial (i.e. flowering) agriculture, non‐beneficial agriculture (NBA), forest, open semi‐natural, suburban, and their configuration (habitat edge density). Landscape strongly affected nest founding but only weakly affected colony success. Nest founding increased in landscapes with more forest habitat, more open semi‐natural habitat (and little NBA), and more habitat edge (and little NBA). Colony success increased in landscapes with more edge density (and much NBA). Overall, edge habitats enhanced bumble bee populations, but enhancement was conditional: edge increased nest occupation in landscapes with little NBA and nest success in landscapes with a lot of NBA. Populations of crop‐pollinating bumble bees might therefore best be enhanced by locally enhancing nesting: protecting forests, 2D semi‐natural habitats (when flowering crops are uncommon), and edge habitats.

Social Factors in Heat Survival: Multiqueen Desert Ant Colonies Have Higher and More Uniform Heat Tolerance

AbstractInvestigations of thermally adaptive behavioral phenotypes are critical for both understanding climate as a selective force and predicting global species distributions under climate change conditions. Cooperative nest founding is a common strategy in harsh environments for many species and can enhance growth and competitive advantage, but whether this social strategy has direct effects on thermal tolerance was previously unknown. We examined the effects of alternative social strategies on thermal tolerance in a facultatively polygynous (multiqueen) desert ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus, asking whether and how queen number affects worker thermal tolerances. We established and reared lab colonies with one to four queens, then quantified all colony member heat tolerances (maximum critical temperature [CTmax]). Workers from colonies with more queens had higher and less variant CTmax. Our findings resemble weak link patterns, in which colony group thermal performance is improved by reducing frequencies of the most temperature-vulnerable individuals. Using ambient temperatures from our collection site, we show that multiqueen colonies have thermal tolerance distributions that enable increased midday foraging in hot desert environments. Our results suggest advantages to polygyny under climate change scenarios and raise the question of whether improved thermal tolerance is a factor that has enabled the success of polygyne species in other climatically extreme environments.

Do soil density and humidity affect nest‐founding in leaf‐cutting ant queens?

AbstractThe habitat choice of nest sites by founding queens of leaf‐cutting ants varies with abiotic factors such as temperature, soil density, and soil humidity. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that soil density and moisture affect excavation effort (i.e., excavation period, excavated soil amount, initial nest depth, initial chamber volume, and mortality) in queens of the leaf‐cutting ant Atta sexdens (L.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Queens were placed in experimental areas in three natural soils in Brazil with varying density and moisture content. The excavated soil was collected, dried, and weighed, and digging period, nest depth, chamber volume, and queen mortality were evaluated after nest establishment. In artificially shaded habitats (less dense and more humid soil), the establishment of queens was greater, the period of nest foundation was shorter, and excavated soil amount, nest depth, and volume of the initial chamber were greater than in forest and pasture habitats (denser and drier soils). Also, queen mortality was lower in less dense, more humid soil. This indicates a trade‐off between maximizing the depth of the nest, to increase protection against inadequate environmental conditions, and minimizing energy expenditure during excavation, affecting their survival.

Social buffer or avoidance depends on the similarity of stress between queen ants.

The association of unrelated ant queens (pleometrosis) is supposed to improve nest foundation and competitiveness under environmental stress, but its evolutionary maintenance is difficult to explain because only one of the queens survives after nest foundation. My aim was to test the potential effect of queen association as a social buffer, that is, as a mechanism reducing stress and improving fitness due to the benefits of social contact. I analyzed the survival, fecundity, and behavior of isolated and paired Lasius flavus queens exposed and not exposed to stressors (disturbing environmental conditions). I found no difference in survivorship between isolated and paired queens or between stressed and unstressed isolated queens. Groups in which 1 or 2 paired queens were stressed showed higher mortality. Unstressed queens died similarly to their stressed nestmates, suggesting stress transmission. A trend suggested that paired queens produced eggs more quickly, but eggs were produced similarly between isolated and paired queens. Social avoidance was observed in groups with 1 stressed and 1 unstressed queen. However, the groups with 2 stressed queens showed the expected behaviors according to social buffering: lower mobility and more interindividual inspection. My findings suggest the synergistic effect of pleometrosis and stress and the dependence of stress level similarity between nestmates on social buffering or rejection on ant queens.

Nutrition induced direct fitness for workers in a primitively eusocial wasp

Eusocial insects are characterised by a reproductive caste differentiation such that egg-laying is restricted to a small number of queens. The majority of the colony members function as non-reproducing workers and gain indirect fitness by rearing the offspring of the reproductives. In primitively eusocial species, some workers can also get direct fitness by sneaking in some eggs in the presence of the queens, replacing the queens and becoming new queens, or initiating new nests. Here we aimed to understand the factors that permit some workers to gain direct fitness and alter the number of workers doing so, using the primitively eusocial wasp Ropalidia marginata. We transplanted 12 naturally occurring colonies into large laboratory cages where there was adequate space for the workers to leave their natal nests and initiate new colonies. We compared six control colonies that we provided with ad libitum food placed near the nest to six test colonies in which we hand-fed the wasps in addition to the ad libitum food. Wasps in test colonies consumed more food, showed more aggression, replaced their queens, and initiated new nests significantly more often than those in control colonies. When considering all 12 colonies, the rates of queen replacement and nest foundation were significantly positively correlated with food consumption rates. The additional nutrition gained by hand-fed wasps appears to help workers in test colonies to develop their ovaries and lay eggs, implying that they are nutritionally castrated in control colonies.

Foraging for the fungus: why do Acromyrmex subterraneus (Formicidae) queens need to forage during the nest foundation phase?

1. Semiclaustral ant queens must pay the price of foraging to guarantee their survival and also that of their brood through the nest foundation phase. For leaf‐cutting ant species, the challenge is even greater, as they also need to cultivate their symbiont fungus.2. We hypothesised that suppressing foraging activity could reflect in larger offspring and higher survival, as queens would be entirely dedicated to rearing the brood and initial fungus.3. By providing easy access to leaves or completely denying it, we evaluated how foraging runs interfere in Acromyrmex subterraneus queens' survival, productivity, and variation of body mass components.4. Three foraging conditions were simulated: Starved – no leaves, Spoiled – leaves inside the nest chamber, and Walker – leaves 3 m away from the nest chamber. We registered the number of dead queens, offspring, weight of the fungus garden, fresh and lean dry mass of the queens, as well as their lipid and water contents.5. Survival of Starved queens, which did not oviposit, was lower than that of Spoiled and Walker queens, although weight loss, water content, and lean dry mass were similar. While lipid content reduction was similar for Spoiled and Walker queens, the former had more larvae and pupae, and a heavier fungus garden than the latter, suggesting a greater rearing effort of Spoiled queens toward them both.6. The simulated foraging conditions provided novel data for a semiclaustral leaf‐cutting ant species that evidences that fungus garden cultivation is definitively the main driving force for the colony founding success.

Social consequences of energetically costly nest construction in a facultatively social bee.

Social groups form when the costs of breeding independently exceed fitness costs imposed by group living. The costs of independent breeding can often be energetic, especially for animals performing expensive behaviours, such as nest construction. To test the hypothesis that nesting costs can drive sociality by disincentivizing independent nest founding, we measured the energetics of nest construction and inheritance in a facultatively social carpenter bee (Xylocopa sonorina Smith), which bores tunnel nests in wood. We measured metabolic rates of bees excavating wood and used computerized tomography images of nesting logs to measure excavation volumes. From these data, we demonstrate costly energetic investments in nest excavation of a minimum 4.3 kJ per offspring provisioned, an expense equivalent to nearly 7 h of flight. This high, potentially prohibitive cost of nest founding may explain why females compete for existing nests rather than constructing new ones, often leading to the formation of social groups. Further, we found that nest inheritors varied considerably in their investment in nest renovation, with costs ranging more than 12-fold (from 7.08 to 89.1 kJ energy), probably reflecting differences in inherited nest quality. On average, renovation costs were lower than estimated new nest construction costs, with some nests providing major savings. These results suggest that females may join social groups to avoid steep energetic costs, but that the benefits of this strategy are not experienced equally.

Effects of mercury at field estimated concentration in brain of Bombus atratus (Hymenoptera: Bombini)

Although mercury neurotoxic effects are well known in several species, it is poorly studied in bees. Mercury contamination is increasing in several regions of the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest due to illegal and indiscriminate gold mining. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of mercury (Hg) in brain Kenyon cells of foraging workers of Bombus atratus exposed to an average concentration (110 ppb) found in pots of honey from native bees of South America and Australia. Twenty forager workers were collected in the field (23° 34′ S 47° 31′ W), divided into control (n = 10) and exposed (n = 10) groups, and individually kept in special boxes for 48 h. For the exposed group, we offered Hg solution (at 110 ppb) ad libitum, while for the control group we offered water, and for both sucrose syrup at 70%. After the exposure time, the bees were crio-anesthezied at 4 °C. Brains were dissected and processed for morphological, morphometric, and histochemical analyses. Morphological results showed that the Kenyon cells of the Hg-exposed group presented both cytoplasmic vacuolization and nuclear pyknosis, which indicate cell death. These findings were corroborated by the acridine orange staining. Hg exposure also induced significant nuclear chromatin compaction in Kenyon cells. The calyces and peduncles of the mushroom bodies showed disorganization and vacuolization. In summary, these changes may imply in a severe impairment of the cognitive abilities of the bees, which could lead them to the loss of many tasks, such as foraging or even nest founding by the queen.

An organizing feature of bumble bee life history: worker emergence promotes queen reproduction and survival in young nests.

Bumble bee queens initiate nests solitarily and transition to living socially once they successfully rear their first cohort of offspring. Bumble bees are disproportionately important for early season pollination, and many populations are experiencing dramatic declines. In this system, the onset of the social stage is critical for nest survival, yet the mechanisms that facilitate this transition remain understudied. Further, the majority of conservation efforts target the social stage of the bumble bee life cycle and do not address the solitary founding stage. We experimentally manipulated the timing of worker emergence in young nests of bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) queens to determine whether and how queen fecundity and survival are impacted by the emergence of workers in the nest. We found that queens with workers added to the nest exhibit increased ovary activation, accelerated egg laying, elevated juvenile hormone (JH) titres and also lower mortality relative to solitary queens. We also show that JH is more strongly impacted by the social environment than associated with queen reproductive state, suggesting that this key regulator of insect reproduction has expanded its function in bumble bees to also influence social organization. We further demonstrate that these effects are independent of queen social history, suggesting that this underlying mechanism promoting queen fecundity is reversible and short lived. Synchronization between queen reproductive status and emergence of workers in the nest may ultimately increase the likelihood of early nesting success in social systems with solitary nest founding. Given that bumble bee workers regulate queen physiology as we have demonstrated, the timing of early worker emergence in the nest likely impacts queen fitness, colony developmental trajectories and ultimately nesting success. Collectively, our findings underline the importance of conservation interventions for bumble bees that support the early nesting period and facilitate the production and maintenance of workers in young nests.

Nesting Biology, Sexual Dimorphism, and Populational Morphometric Variation in Podium denticulatum F. Smith, 1856 (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)

Podium denticulatum occurs from Mexico to southern Brazil, including northeastern Argentina. Females use pre-existing cavities to build nests, consisting of cells separated by walls of mud and resin and massively provisioned with paralyzed cockroaches. Trap nests were disposed in three localities in the state of São Paulo, Brazil (Araras, São Carlos, Rifaina), resulting in the collection of 201 nests from December/2003 to June/2007. The founding nests were brought to the laboratory, opened and the pupae transferred to identified vials until the emergence of the adults, when they were then weighed, sexed and stored at -20ºC. The nesting activity was seasonal, with a higher number of nests in the warm and rainy season of the year. The number of constructed cells ranged from one to nine per nest. The emergence rate of adults in the 716 brood cells was 74%, with homogeneous distribution of mortality by egg, larva and pupa stages. This mortality was partly due to parasitism observed in 39% of nests, predominantly by Melittobia sp. and rarely by Diptera (Tachinidae). A 1:1 sex ratio was observed among the newly emerged adults of each locality analyzed. Strong sexual dimorphism was characterized by linear measurements of wings and body mass, with females and males showing a mass between 27-116 mg and 14-70 mg, respectively. The geometric morphometry confirmed this dimorphism and revealed significant variation of wing size and shape among individuals of the analyzed populations, a result that deserves subsequent studies to point out the factors that account for this differentiation.

Dynamics of nest occupation and homing of solitary bees in painted trap nests

1. The oil‐collecting bee Centris analis (Fabricius, 1804) is an important pollinator for the Neotropical region. The species can be attracted to nest in human‐made cavities. Such trap nests or insect hotels offer the opportunity to study the behaviour of populations in semifield conditions.2. We studied a newly established trap nest aggregation of C. analis in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil and tested the effect that differentially painted nesting options have on the rate of nest foundation, and on the ability of relocating the nest when returning from a foraging trip (homing behaviour). Moreover, we tested if the duration of foraging trips decreased with time.3. We found that females preferred to nest in painted nests compared to unpainted nests, with blue nests being the most occupied ones, followed by purple, yellow, white, and green. Furthermore, bees improved their homing behaviour with time, however, nest colour did not seem to have an effect on this process. Moreover, we found that bees reduce the duration of their foraging trips with time. This could be an indicator of improved foraging efficiency through learning.4. These findings could inform a new and fruitful line of research on the behaviour and ecology of trap nesting solitary bees.

Trap-nesting Bees Communities from Protected Areas of Atlantic Forest, Southeastern Brazil

The solitary bees that use preexisting cavities can be captured in trap-nests allowing to collect data on nesting biology and associated organisms. This man-made trap-nest facilitates the understanding of environmental components and landscape composition in the fauna of solitary bees. Here, we aimed to increase the knowledge about trap-nesting bee species from four protected areas Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil and to test how abiotic local environmental components (temperature and rainfall) and forest cover affects the trap-nesting bee fauna. We recorded occupants from 847 nests founded by 17 bee species and seven cleptoparasite bees, associated to their host, summing 24 bee species sampled. The family with highest species richness was Megachilidae, and the species with the largest number of founded nests was Tetrapedia diversipes Klug (Apidae). Diptera, coleoptera, and hymenoptera parasitized 15.2% of the founded nests. The period of highest nest occupation occurred between November and February, which correspond to the warmest and most humid months in the region. We found significant positive correlation between the number of nests and monthly accumulated rainfall. We verified that Boraceia and Ilhabela have the best status conservation based on native forest cover and we sampled the highest diversity of species in these areas. We improved the knowledge on trap-nesting bees communities from Atlantic Forest on new species sampled in this biome with their nesting biology and highlighted that rainfall influences positively the nest founding throughout the year and native forest cover influences diversity of species.

To leave or to stay: direct fitness through natural nest foundation in a primitively eusocial wasp

Dispersing from the natal nest to found new nests is an avenue for gaining direct fitness for workers in some primitively eusocial insects, especially in species with a perennial nesting cycle where males are present throughout the year. Such nest foundation is difficult to study in nature or in small laboratory cages. Hence, we have investigated the dynamics of nest foundation by workers of the primitively eusocial wasp Ropalidia marginata inside closed walk-in cages so that we could locate and observe every event of nest foundation. Starting with nine parent nests we observed the dispersal of female workers that initiated 9 single-foundress and 20 multiple-foundress nests. Wasps congregated outside their parent nests and engaged in dominance–subordinate interactions before initiating multiple foundress nests. The most dominant wasps of such aggregations became queens, and among the others, some joined the new nests as cofoundresses to become workers while the others remained in the parent nests. Solitary foundresses never participated in such off-nest aggregations. Solitary foundresses and future queens of multiple foundress nests engaged in self-feeding behaviour outside their parent nests, a behaviour not performed by wasps that did not initiate new nests. Queens of new nests gained immediate direct fitness. Although the cofoundresses continued to gain only indirect fitness, they are expected to have a higher probability of gaining direct fitness in the future as compared to the corresponding probability in their much larger parent nests. These findings underscore the importance of direct fitness in the evolution of cooperation in primitively eusocial insects.

The role of the corrective community method in developing selected social skills of its participants. A case study

Young people in adolescence are looking for role models and authorities, they also have an increased need for autonomy and willingness to decide about themselves. One of the places where these needs and expectations of children and adolescents are met is the Socio-Therapy Dayroom and Youth Club of the Nest Foundation for People in Need of Help in Katowice, where the corrective community method is used. Charges actively participate in the life and activity of the facility, as presented in the following article. The purpose of the article is to show the corrective community method and its importance for shaping social skills, as well as to present the results of the research carried out in the above-mentioned organisation.

Queen venom isosolenopsin A delivers rapid incapacitation of fire ant competitors

Fire ant venom contains insecticidal alkaloids named ‘solenopsins’. Whilst species-specific differences are reported, little attention has been given to caste-specific venom adaptations. The venom of fire ant queens has remained particularly poorly studied, though studies have shown it to be strikingly similar across different species, in being primarily composed of the alkaloid isosolenopsin A, regardless of the chemical configuration in workers. We predict that this is the evolutionary outcome of stabilising selection, implying that a shared mechanism is responsible for the conserved venom composition among fire ant queens. The present investigation tests whether venom plays a role in nest founding, when queens must succeed in isolation in the field against competitor species. Here, we report that fire ant queen venom and isosolenopsin A are faster to incapacitate alien ants than the venom of fire ant workers. Representative sympatric competitor ant species were selected and exposed on their heads to the venom of workers and queens of the invasive fire ant species Solenopsis invicta and S. geminata. Queen venom was found to incapacitate rival foragers quicker than worker venom. The effects were reproduced using synthetic solenopsins, establishing that solenopsin A analogues are particularly effective contact neurotoxins. Overall, the venom of S. invicta is more lethal than of S. geminata, regardless of the incapacitation speed. We believe these are fundamental aspects of the chemical ecology of the invasive ants which remain overlooked, and emphasise the need for further studies into the venom biology of founding queens.

WASPnest: a worldwide assessment of social Polistine nesting behavior.

Cooperative breeding decreases the direct reproductive output of subordinate individuals, but cooperation can be evolutionarily favored when there are challenges or constraints to breeding independently. Environmental factors, including temperature, precipitation, latitude, high seasonality, and environmental harshness have been hypothesized to correlate with the presence of cooperative breeding. However, to test the relationship between cooperation and ecological constraints requires comparative data on the frequency and variation of cooperative breeding across differing environments, ideally replicated across multiple species. Paper wasps are primitively social species, forming colonies composed of reproductively active dominants and foraging subordinates. Adult female wasps, referred to as foundresses, initiate new colonies. Nests can be formed by a single solitary foundress (noncooperative) or by multiple foundress associations (cooperative). Cooperative behavior varies within and among species, making paper wasps species well suited to disentangling ecological correlates of variation in cooperative behavior. This data set reports the frequency and extent of cooperative nest founding for 87 paper wasp species. Data were assembled from more than 170 published sources, previously unpublished field observations, and photographs contributed by citizen scientists to online natural history repositories. The data set includes 25,872 nest observations and reports the cooperative behavioral decisions for 45,297 foundresses. Species names were updated to reflect modern taxonomic revisions. The type of substrate on which the nest was built is also included, when available. A smaller population-level version of this data set found that the presence or absence of cooperative nesting in paper wasps was correlated with temperature stability and environmental harshness, but these variables did not predict the extent of cooperation within species. This expanded data set contains details about individual nests and further increases the power to address the relationship between the environment and the presence and extent of cooperative breeding. Beyond the ecological drivers of cooperation, these high-resolution data will be useful for future studies examining the evolutionary consequences of variation in social behavior. This data set may be used for research or educational purposes provided that this data paper is cited.