| Brachygastra | |
|---|---|
| |
| Brachygastra mellifica | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Vespidae |
| Subfamily: | Polistinae |
| Tribe: | Epiponini |
| Genus: | Brachygastra Perty, 1833[1] |
| Type species | |
| Brachygastra lecheguana | |
| Species | |
|
17 species | |
Honey wasps are species in the genus Brachygastra of the family Vespidae. Brachygastra comprises 17 species of social paper wasps. The ancestral species are thought to have diverged about 32 million years ago within diverse Amazon rainforest. Subsequent speciation within the genus is thought to have mostly occurred between 23 Ma and 10 Ma, during the time of the Andean uplift when the landscape was significantly altered due to tectonic activity. The current cladistic organisation of the genus has been heavily reliant on morphological characteristics.
Brachygastra species live in colonies and construct arboreal paper nests in humid forest environments, although several species occur in open vegetation. They are widely distributed in Central and South America, and also occur in southwest areas of North America. They have a broad diet consisting of floral nectar and insect protein. Several species are known to collect and store nectar in large amounts as honey, a characteristic in the insect world only shared with various bee species, a few wasp species (Polybia spp.), and a few ant species (Myrmecocystus spp. and other genera). There are few historical reports of humans using honey produced by honey wasps, probably due to its small quantities and the wasp's fierce sting.
_(30591274156).jpg)
The species can provide important ecosystem services such as pollination, herbivore deterrence and predation of disease vectors.
- ^ a b James M. Carpenter. "Tentative Checklist of the Polistine Tribe Epiponini". IUNH. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2017.