Polybia rejecta

Polybia rejecta
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae
Subfamily: Polistinae
Genus: Polybia
Species:
P. rejecta
Binomial name
Polybia rejecta
(Fabricius, 1798)
Synonyms[1]

Polybia belizensis Cameron, 1906
Polybia bicolor Smith, 1857
Polybia javaryensis Cameron, 1906
Polybia litoralsis Zavattari, 1905

Polybia rejecta is a species of social wasp found in the Neotropics region of the world. It was discovered by Fabricius in South America in the 1790s.[1] The wasp is associated with many other organisms, particularly specific species of ants and birds such as the Azteca ants and the cacique birds.[2][3] This association is most beneficial to the ants and birds because of the aggressive protective nature of the wasp. The wasps will protect their nest even if it means death against any predator that approaches it and therefore this means that the association also protects the ants and birds.[3] Additionally, the wasp is known for eating the eggs of red eyed tree frogs as a main way of subsistence.[4] It also, like many other wasp species, has a caste system of queens and workers that is evident by difference in body size among the wasps; the biggest female becomes the queen.[5]

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