Social biology ofParischnogaster striatula(Hymenoptera: Stenogastrinae)

Abstract

The social biology of the wasp Parischnogaster striatula has been studied in Peninsular Malaysia. This species shows the main characteristics of hover wasps (Vespidae, Stenogastrinae) which set them aside from the other social Vespidae. These include the use of an abdominal secretion in brood rearing, the three-phase egg deposition and the presence of only four larval instars. Colonies are invariably small sized and on average 1.92 females on the nests present developed ovaries. Colony life revolves around a dominant female, which has developed ovaries and spends most of her time on the nest. Since visual cues were recently found in two different species of Liostenogaster (Stenogastrinae), we also looked for a possible badge of status in these wasps but with negative results.