Synoeca surinama

Synoeca surinama
S. surinama nest in Trinidad and Tobago
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae
Subfamily: Polistinae
Tribe: Epiponini
Genus: Synoeca
Species:
S. surinama
Binomial name
Synoeca surinama
(Linnaeus, 1767)
Synonyms

Vespa surinama Linnaeus, 1767
Vespa nigricornis Olivier, 1792
Polistes coerulea Fabricius, 1804
Synoeca surimana Zavattari, 1906 Lapsus calami
Synoeca surinamensis Vesey-Fitzgerald, 1939 Lapsus calami

Synoeca surinama is a Neotropical swarm-founding wasp of the tribe Epiponini. It is known for its metallic blue and black appearance and painful sting.[1][2] S. surinama builds nests on tree trunks and can be found in tropical climates of South America.[3][4] When preparing to swarm, there are a number of pre-swarming behaviors that members of S. surinama colonies partake in, such as buzzing runs and occasional brood cannibalism.[5] In S. surinama, social environmental conditions determine the caste ranks of individuals in the developing brood.[5] Unlike less primitive Hymenoptera species, S. surinama display little morphological variation between egg laying queens and workers.[6] S. surinama wasps visit flowering plants and are considered pollinators.[7] When these wasps sting, the stinger is left in the victim and the wasp ultimately dies.[8]

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