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TranslatePolistes dominula (Christ, 1798)
Polistes dominula. Common name “The European paper wasp” (Christ, 1798)
Family: Vespidae
Length (adults) 9 to 13mm.
Widespread and one of the well-known species of social wasps in the genus “Polistes” (Paper Wasp) throughout Spain and the warm Mediterranean region of Europe.
After over wintering the queen will emerge, she will spend about a month in spring constructing a nest. Soon the queen will start laying and provisioning offspring, the first of these are daughters who become the workers. Sometimes more than one queen will be foundresses of the nest and it is the one that is able to lay the most fertile eggs, that will become the dominant Queen; the other remaining foundresses become subordinate and will work in the colony.
The dominant Queen becomes the principle egg layer of the nest, which is constructed of saliva and paper. The other subordinate females are the “workers.” The queen in time will be replaced by the second most dominant female in the nest. This then ensures that the younger dominant queen is able to continue the productive “Colony cycle”. Dominance in females is determined by the markings on her clypeus (face), male dominance is shown by the variation of spots on their abdomens.
Unlike most social insects, 35% of P. dominula wasps in a colony are unrelated.
P. dominula diet is more diverse than most other species of Polistes that rely on certain species of caterpillars. P. dominula does not, giving this species a far superior survival rate during a shortage of food. Also, by having a short development time compared to most other Polistes species; this gives them a higher ability to endure predator attacks.
Paper wasps have a “lek” mating system
(lek” is an aggregation of male animals gathered to engage in a competitive display, to entice a female of the same species to mate).
In late summer a shortage of female workers becomes evident as only males and future foundresses are produced, they will frequently group together (called a hibernaculum) to overwinter; this then leads to the original colony disbanding. Hibernation rarely takes place on former nest sites.
Read MoreFamily: Vespidae
Length (adults) 9 to 13mm.
Widespread and one of the well-known species of social wasps in the genus “Polistes” (Paper Wasp) throughout Spain and the warm Mediterranean region of Europe.
After over wintering the queen will emerge, she will spend about a month in spring constructing a nest. Soon the queen will start laying and provisioning offspring, the first of these are daughters who become the workers. Sometimes more than one queen will be foundresses of the nest and it is the one that is able to lay the most fertile eggs, that will become the dominant Queen; the other remaining foundresses become subordinate and will work in the colony.
The dominant Queen becomes the principle egg layer of the nest, which is constructed of saliva and paper. The other subordinate females are the “workers.” The queen in time will be replaced by the second most dominant female in the nest. This then ensures that the younger dominant queen is able to continue the productive “Colony cycle”. Dominance in females is determined by the markings on her clypeus (face), male dominance is shown by the variation of spots on their abdomens.
Unlike most social insects, 35% of P. dominula wasps in a colony are unrelated.
P. dominula diet is more diverse than most other species of Polistes that rely on certain species of caterpillars. P. dominula does not, giving this species a far superior survival rate during a shortage of food. Also, by having a short development time compared to most other Polistes species; this gives them a higher ability to endure predator attacks.
Paper wasps have a “lek” mating system
(lek” is an aggregation of male animals gathered to engage in a competitive display, to entice a female of the same species to mate).
In late summer a shortage of female workers becomes evident as only males and future foundresses are produced, they will frequently group together (called a hibernaculum) to overwinter; this then leads to the original colony disbanding. Hibernation rarely takes place on former nest sites.
