In this work, an alternative method for the capture of neotropical social wasps is described, which may supplement or replace the procedures commonly used in wasp surveys. The method was tested in a seasonal semideciduous forest in the northwest of São Paulo State, collecting a larger number of species and a greater abundance of social wasps and of other Hymenoptera than other methods also used...

Nestmate recognition is one the most important features in social insect colonies. Although epicuticular lipids or cuticular hydrocarbons have both structural and defensive functions in insects, they also seem to be involved in several aspects of communication in wasps, bees and ants. We analyzed and described for the first time the cuticular hydrocarbons of a Neotropical paper wasp, Polistes s...

The social brain hypothesis assumes the evolution of social behaviour changes animals' ecological environments, and predicts evolutionary shifts in social structure will be associated with changes in brain investment. Most social brain models to date assume social behaviour imposes additional cognitive challenges to animals, favouring the evolution of increased brain investment. Here, we presen...

We examined the hypotheses that the empty combs of Polybia occidentalis Olivier (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) nest insulate the inside of the nest. To examine this hypotheses, two kinds of temperature measurements were carried out: 1) with the outer comb of the nest intact (Control) and 2) removed (Treatment), using a large and a small nest. In the large nest, the daily nest temperatures (outer part,...

Seven species of the subgenus Polistella Ashmead of the genus Polistes Latreille including a new species, P. brunetus Nguyen & Kojima, sp. n. described here, are recognized to occur in northeastern Vietnam, the easternmost part of the eastern slope of the Himalayas. A key to these species is provided. Their distributional records are remarked. Nests of P. delhiensis Das & Gupta, P. mandarinus d...

The new vespid genus and species Palaeopolistes jattioti gen. et. sp. nov. is described from the Late Eocene of Monteils (Gard, France). The new taxon has clear features of the Polistinae but its tribal assignment is uncertain.

Nests of Synoeca septentrionalis were collected in two Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest localities (Itabuna and Santa Terezinha, in the state of Bahia and Alfredo Chaves in the state of Espírito Santo). Synoeca septentrionalis was previously recorded only from Central America and northwestern South America. This findingextends its geographical distribution to Northeast and Southeast regions of Br...

We present the second record of Polistes associus (Kohl, 1898) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) from Slovakia after 66 years and discuss distribution this species in Europe. Morphological features are compared with those other morphologically similar congeners occurring Central Europe, bischoffi Weyrauch, 1937 nimpha (Christ, 1791), differential diagnoses supplemented figures.

Wasps belonging to the family vespidae is one of the dangerous hymenopteran when disturbed in its habitat either accidently or purposely. Wasp stings are common, especially in populations living in vicinity to forested areas all over the world. Local signs following stings are common and generally life threatening anaphylaxis may occur, including Kounis syndrome requiring immediate treatment. T...

Vespa Velutina (Vespidae family, Genus Vespa) (VV) is a wasp whose origin is Asia. It was first found in Europe by the end of 2005 in southern France, even though its arrival probably took place in Bordeaux in a wood container one year before. Since then, they have spread throughout 32 departments in France, getting to Guipuzcoa by 2011 and are already present in Navarre, attacking beehives, ca...