Polistes carolina: Difference between revisions
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===The Founding Phase=== |
===The Founding Phase=== |
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The founding phase begins in the spring and involves young reproductive females (called foundresses) to build new nests, either alone or in conjunction with other foundresses.<ref name= social></ref> In field studies "Polistes carolina" were observed to have a range of 1-8 foundresses in surviving colonies. <ref name= oxford></ref> During the founding period many foundresses move between nests, sometimes settling at another nest (movers) and sometimes returning to their own nest (visitors).<ref name= oxford></ref> In this way the foundress continues to reassess her reproductive options. <ref name= pone>{{cite journal|last=Seppa|first=Perttu|author2=David C. Queller|Author3=Joan E. Strassman.|title=Why Wasp Foundresses Change Nests: Relatedness, Dominance, and Nest Quality|journal=PLoS ONE|date=September 25, 2012|url=http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0045386|accessdate=17 September 2014|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0045386}}</ref> During these visits foundresses were also observed to lay eggs in other nests.<ref name= oxford></ref> |
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The founding phase involves young reproductive females (called foundresses) to start new nests, either alone or in conjunction with other foundresses. |
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===The Worker Phase=== |
===The Worker Phase=== |
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During the worker phase adult workers and early males are eclosed. |
During the worker phase in many ''Polistes'' species adult workers and early males are eclosed.<ref name= social></ref> ''Polistes carolina'' however lack early males during this time and instead only produce worker females. <ref name=oxford></ref> |
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===The Reproductive Phase=== |
===The Reproductive Phase=== |
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The reproductive phase lasts from the emergence of the first reproductives until the colony begins to decline and reproductives disperse to form their own nests. |
The reproductive phase lasts from the emergence of the first reproductives until the colony begins to decline and reproductives disperse to form their own nests.<ref name= social></ref> |
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Revision as of 04:52, 24 September 2014
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| Polistes carolina | |
|---|---|
| File:PolistesCarolinaMale1.jpg | |
| Male (Image provided by Eric Eaton) | |
| File:PolistesCarolinaFemale1.jpg | |
| Female (Image provided by Tim Lethbridge) | |
| Scientific classification | |
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| Species group: | |
| Species: | P. Carolina
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| Binomial name | |
| Polistes carolina | |
| File:PolistesCarolinaDistributionMap.png | |
| Synonyms | |
One of two types of Red Paper Wasps (Polistes Carolina) is species of social wasp (subfamily Polistinae) in the family Vespidae. Its common name comes from the reddish brown color of its head and body though it can also has brown bands on its abdomen.[4] Red Paper wasps are known to construct some of the largest nests of any wasp species and prefer to build their nests in protected spaces. [5] Polistes carolina's prefer to eat sweet foods such as nectar and caterpillars though they are also known to eat sweet discarded food from humans. [5]
Taxonomy and Phylogeny
The first description of P. carolina appears in the first volume of Carl Linnaeus' 12th edition of Systema Naturae published in 1767.[3] In this volume he referred to the species as Vespa carolina.[3] Ferdinand de Saussure later moved it to the genus Polistes in 1855 after Pierre Andre Latreille coined the new genus in 1802.[6]P. carolina is within the family Vespidae, which includes nearly all of the eusocial wasps and many of the solitary wasps. It is further placed within the subfamily Polistnae (paper wasps), which is the second largest of the subfamilies within Vespidae. Polistinae contains two main behavioral groups: swarm founding, involving a large numbers of workers and several queens, and independent founding, which involve a few workers and foundresses (P. carolina using the latter.)[7]
Polistes carolina has been found to be most closely related to Polistes metricus. Recent phylogenetic analysis has shown that both Polistes carolina and Polistes metricus share a common ancestor with Polistes aurifer and Polistes fuscatus[8]
Description and Identification
Typical Polistes carolina (of both sexes) are about 25–32 millimetres (0.98–1.26 in) long[1][2] with black wings of lengths ranging from 15–25 millimetres (0.59–0.98 in). [9]P. carolina is often confused with P. perplexus due to their strikingly similar reddish brown coloring.[9] These two species are the only species of red wasps in the eastern United States.[4] One distinguishing feature between these two red wasp species is the greater presence of black markings on the thorax of P. perplexus.[4] Both sexes of the two species can also be differentiated by the coarser transverse ridging of the propodeum of P. perplexus when compared with P. carolina.[9] Additionally, female P. carolina have mostly bare malar space (the distance between the lower eye orbit and the mouth [10])
Like most paper wasps Polistes carolina construct their nests by chewing plant and wood fibers with saliva to create a paper-mache like material. [11] When dried their nests form an upside down umbrella or dome shape with exposed honeycomb-like cells opening at the bottom. [5] Polistes carolina prefer to nest in protected spaces such as naturally occurring locations in vegetation or the cavities of trees.[12] They also frequently nest in man made structures such as the underside of bridges, roofs, eaves, and wooden boxes. [12][13] These nests are some of the largest of any wasp species and usually contain around 3000-5000 members.[14]
Sexual Dimorphism
Distribution and Habitat
Polistes Carolina is most commonly found in the eastern United States from Nebraska to Texas and along the Atlantic coast from New York to Florida.[4] It has also been recorded as an adventitious species (not established) in Ontario, Canada and was introduced to Bermuda.[9]
Colony Cycle
Polistes colony cycle involves four separate, yet often overlapping, phases: the founding phase, the worker phase, the reproductive phase, and the intermediate phase. [12]
The Founding Phase
The founding phase begins in the spring and involves young reproductive females (called foundresses) to build new nests, either alone or in conjunction with other foundresses.[12] In field studies "Polistes carolina" were observed to have a range of 1-8 foundresses in surviving colonies. [13] During the founding period many foundresses move between nests, sometimes settling at another nest (movers) and sometimes returning to their own nest (visitors).[13] In this way the foundress continues to reassess her reproductive options. [15] During these visits foundresses were also observed to lay eggs in other nests.[13]
The Worker Phase
During the worker phase in many Polistes species adult workers and early males are eclosed.[12] Polistes carolina however lack early males during this time and instead only produce worker females. [13]
The Reproductive Phase
The reproductive phase lasts from the emergence of the first reproductives until the colony begins to decline and reproductives disperse to form their own nests.[12]
The Intermediate Phase
The time between colony decline and the founding of new colonies is termed the intermediate phase.
Behavior
Dominance Hierarchy
Foundress associations in Polistes species establish clear dominant and subordinate relationships in which the dominant gains the most reproduction success. Unlike in many species the Queen (most dominant foundress) is not necessarily the largest female. Rather the first foundress to arrive becomes the Queen and any subsequent joiners become subordinates.[13]
Division of labor
Reproductive Suppression
Communication
Mating Behavior
Kin Selection
Kin Recognition and Discrimination
Costs and benefits of sociality
Worker queen conflict
Life history and survivorship curves
Mimicry and Camouflage
Interaction with other species
Human Importance
Since Polistes carolina nest in sheltered areas it is common for them to construct their nests in close proximity of humans such as the open space under a roof. They are also often attracted to humans due to loud noises, bright colors, and sweet smells such as food and perfume. [5] Typical paper wasps are relatively unaggressive, only attacking humans and animals if they or their nests are being threatened. Red Paper wasps are more aggressive and their stings can be more painful, however, only females have the ability to sting.[16][14] Unlike bees, wasps do not lose their stinger and thus they are able to sting multiple times. [5]
Stings
After a sting if a red wasp stinger does remain in the victims skin it should be removed as quickly as possible. This should be done by locating a small black dot in the center of the welt and running a blunt knife or credit card along the surface of the skin.[14] Using tweezers to remove stingers can cause more venom to be squeezed into the skin and should be avoided. [5] Once the stinger has been removed wash the area with soap and water. A red wasp sting will typically hurt and cause localized swelling and itchiness, however, in some cases people report developing a full body itchy rash.[5] Applying a cold compress or ice to the area can help relieve swelling while application of calamine lotion or 1% hydrocortisone cream can help relieve itching and pain. If neither of these creams are available a paste made from Baking soda and water is a very effective sting remedy. The paste should be thick enough to stay on the area of the sting until it dries.[14] Some individuals are known to have severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, to wasp stings and should seek immediate medical attention if severe symptoms begin to present.[14] In very rare cases children may develop shock after a red wasp sting. [5]
References
- ^ a b "Polistes carolina (Linnaeus, 1767)". Biology. Discover Life. Retrieved 2014-09-17.
{{cite web}}: External link in|publisher= - ^ a b "Species Polistes carolina - Red Wasp". Biology. BugGuide. Retrieved 2014-09-16.
{{cite web}}: External link in|publisher= - ^ a b c "Hymenoptera Name Serve". Biology. [1]. Retrieved 2014-09-16.
{{cite web}}: External link in|publisher= - ^ a b c d "Red Wasp (Polistes carolina)". Biology. Wild Life North America. Retrieved 2014-09-16.
{{cite web}}: External link in|publisher= - ^ a b c d e f g h "Red Wasps". Biology. [2]. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
{{cite web}}: External link in|publisher= - ^ "Monarch Life Cycle" (PDF). Biology. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Retrieved 2014-09-17.
{{cite web}}: External link in|publisher= - ^ Arevalo, Elisabeth; Yong Zhu; James M Carpenter; Joan E Strassman (2004). "he phylogeny of the social wasp subfamily Polistinae: evidence from microsatellite flanking sequences, mitochondrial COI sequence, and morphological characters". BioMedCentral Evolutionary Biology. 4 (8): 8. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-4-8. PMC 385225.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ Pickett, Kurt M., James M. Carpenter, and Ward C. Wheeler. "Systematics of Polistes (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), with a Phylogenetic Consideration of Hamilton's Haplodiploidy Hypothesis." Ann. Zool. Fennici 43 (2006): 390-406. Print.
- ^ a b c d "Polistes carolina (Linnaeus, 1767)". Biology. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification. doi:[https://doi.org/10.3752%2Fcjai.2008.05%5D 10.3752/cjai.2008.05]. Retrieved 2014-09-17.
{{cite web}}: External link in|publisher= - ^ {{cite journal|last=Neumeyer|first=Rainer|author2=Hannes Baur|author3=Gaston-Denis Guex|author4=Christophe Praz|title=A new species of the paper wasp genus Polistes (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae) in Europe revealed by morphometrics and molecular analyses| journal=ZooKeys|year=2014|issue=400|pages=67-118|url=http://www.pensoft.net/J_FILES/1/articles/6611/6611-G-1-layout.html%7Caccessdate=16 September 2014|doi= 10.3897/zookeys.400.6611]}
- ^ Biology. Everything About Wasp http://www.everythingabout.net/articles/biology/animals/arthropods/insects/wasps/paper_wasp/=Paper Wasp. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help); External link in|publisher=|title=(help) - ^ a b c d e f Seppa, Perttu; David C. Queller; Joan E. Strassman (2003). "Reproduction in foundress associations of the social wasp, Polistes carolina: conventions, competition, and skew". Behavioral Ecology. 13 (4): 531–542. doi:10.1093/beheco/13.4.531. Retrieved 2014-09-18.
- ^ a b c d e "Red Wasp Sting Treatment". Biology. Buzzle. Retrieved 2014-09-16.
{{cite web}}: External link in|publisher= - ^ Seppa, Perttu; David C. Queller (September 25, 2012). "Why Wasp Foundresses Change Nests: Relatedness, Dominance, and Nest Quality". PLoS ONE. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0045386. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|Author3=ignored (|author3=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ "Red Wasp". Biology. Larvalbug Bytes ARchives. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
{{cite web}}: External link in|publisher=