Polistes annularis

Polistes annularis
Polistes annularis photographed in Oklahoma
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae
Subfamily: Polistinae
Tribe: Polistini
Genus: Polistes
Species:
P. annularis
Binomial name
Polistes annularis
Synonyms
  • Vespa annularis Linnaeus, 1763
  • Vespa cincta Drury, 1773

Polistes annularis (P. annularis) is a species of paper wasp found throughout the eastern half of the United States.[1][2] This species of red paper wasp is known for its large size and its red-and-black coloration and is variably referred to as a ringed paper wasp or jack Spaniard wasp. It builds its nest under overhangs near bodies of water that minimize the amount of sunlight penetration.[3] It clusters its nests together in large aggregations,[4] and consumes nectar and other insects.[5] Its principal predator is the ant, although birds are also known to prey on it.[6] Unlike other wasps, P. annularis is relatively robust in winter conditions, and has also been observed to store honey in advance of hibernation.[7] This species has also been used as a model species to demonstrate the ability to use microsatellite markers in maternity assignment of social insects.[8]

  1. ^ Richards, Owain Westmacott (1978). The social wasps of the Americas, excluding the Vespinae. London: British Museum (Natural History). pp. 477–488. ISBN 0565007858.
  2. ^ Carpenter, James M. (1996). "Distributional checklist of the species of the genus Polistes (Hymenoptera: Vespidae; Polistinae, Polistini)". American Museum Novitates (3188): 1–39. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  3. ^ Queller, David C., and Joan E. Strassmann. "Reproductive success and group nesting in the paper wasp, Polistes annularis." Reproductive Success: Studies of Individual Variation in Contrasting Breeding Systems, 1988, p. 76-96.
  4. ^ Strassmann, Joan E (1991). "Costs and Benefits of Colony Aggregation in the Social Wasp,". Behavioral Ecology. 2 (3): 204–09. doi:10.1093/beheco/2.3.204.
  5. ^ Monsalve, Rafael I.; Lu, Gang; Piao King, Te (1999). "Expressions of Recombinant Venom Allergen, Antigen 5 of Yellowjacket (Vespula Vulgaris) and Paper Wasp (Polistes Annularis), in Bacteria or Yeast". Protein Expression and Purification. 16 (3): 410–16. doi:10.1006/prep.1999.1082. PMID 10425162.
  6. ^ Espelie, Karl E.; Hermann, Henry R. (1990). "Surface Lipids of the Social WaspPolistes Annularis (L.) and Its Nest and Nest Pedicel". Journal of Chemical Ecology. 1990 (6): 1841–852. Bibcode:1990JCEco..16.1841E. doi:10.1007/bf01020498. PMID 24263988. S2CID 28276655.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference honey was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Peters, J. M.; Queller, D. C.; Strassmann, J. E.; Solis, C. R. (1995). "Maternity Assignment and Queen Replacement in a Social Wasp". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 260 (1357): 7–12. Bibcode:1995RSPSB.260....7P. doi:10.1098/rspb.1995.0052. PMID 7761484. S2CID 30453781.