Polistes carnifex
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Polistes carnifex |
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| Fabricius , 1775 |
Polistes carnifex , also known as the hangman's wasp , is a neotropical wasp of the genus Polistes , known for its extremely painful sting . The wasp is native to Central and South America. It is a very large, yellow-brown wasp which builds its nest in small colonies under eaves and protruding branches. The nest is usually built by a single queen, often in the form of winter aggregations, until climatic conditions are suitable for establishing a colony. Not all nests have females with developed ovaries. Foraging adults collect nectar and caterpillars to feed their larvae, which are stored in individual brood cells of the nest. Adjustments include mandibles and teeth. Worker-queen conflict, worker surveillance, and acts of domination occur in this species. This species lives an average of 6 to 18 months, which makes it the longest-lived wasp known.
Taxonomy and Tribal History
Polistes carnifex belongs to the genus Polistes , which is the largest genus in the wasp family . Polistes carnifex is a species of wasps and, like other members of the genus Polistes, a eusocial wasp. One of the assumed phylogenetic branches establishes a close relationship between the Polistes carnifex and the Polistes major and a more distant relationship to the following species: Polistes apachus , Polistes aurifer , Polistes bellicosus , Polistes carolina , Polistes metricus , Polistes poeyi haitiensis and Polistes perplexus . However, there is no consensus regarding the phylogenetics of the Polistes carnifex, therefore no phylogenetic branch can be clearly assigned.
features
Polistes carnifex is the largest neotropical wasp of the genus Polistes (body length of up to 3 centimeters). Despite its size, it is a little aggressive insect. It can be recognized by its brown and yellow stripes.
The largest documented nest of the Polistes carnifex was about 9 cm in diameter. The average minimum size of the nests is 27.8 mm. The nests are home to an average population of 4 to 13 adult individuals. In the nest examined in the study there were 28 cells and this number remained constant during the entire observation period (17 days). Only one observed cell was enlarged, which was at the edge. The nests are occasionally built under eaves and other places where they can hang protected. Polistes carnifex is a social species and the nests consist of numerous, horizontally arranged cells in which the young animals are raised. The nests are open hanging and supported by a single stem made of a gelatinous material.
distribution
The Polistes carnifex is native to Central and South America; from Mexico to Northern Argentina. One finds this species in humid as well as in coastal regions as well as in open areas such as the evergreen tropical rainforest. A study in Costa Rica found nests on the branches of numerous thornless trees in a volatile swamp. Nests were also found under eaves. Furthermore, nests were found about one meter around the nests of Polybia wasps and occasionally in similar proximity around the nests of Mischocyttarus wasps. Some trees housed the nests of numerous wasp genera while others did not, which shows that the distribution was not random.
Life cycle and way of life
Sting
Although it is not an aggressive species, the hangman's wasp is feared for its potent sting, especially in many Latin American countries. YouTube personality and wildlife educator Coyote Peterson , who has undergone numerous different insect bites for educational purposes, was stung by a hangman's wasp and described it as the most painful sting he has ever received - even more painful than that of the 24-hour ant or the Asian Giant hornet . Coyote Peterson also said the sting could cause necrosis around the stung area:
"My arm was swollen for days and finally a small hole rotted in my skin at the injection site."
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Corn, Mary L .: Notes on the Biology of Polistes carnifex (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) in Costa Rica and Colombia . In: Psyche . 79, No. 3, 1972, pp. 150-157. doi : 10.1155 / 1972/78756 .
- ↑ Gobbi, N., Noll, FB, and Penna, MA: "Winter" aggregations, colony cycle, and seasonal phenotypic change in the paper wasp Polistes versicolor in subtropical Brazil . In: The natural sciences . 93, No. 10, 2006, pp. 487-94. bibcode : 2006NW ..... 93..487G . doi : 10.1007 / s00114-006-0140-z . PMID 16896975 .
- ↑ a b Jackson, Morgan. (2012-10-26). Taxonomic adventures in the world of paper wasps ( Polistes , Vespidae) . [Web log comment].
- ^ A b Pickett, KM, Carpenter, JM & Wheeler, WC: Systematics of Polistes (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), with a phylogenetic consideration of Hamilton's haplodiploidy hypothesis . In: Ann. Zool. Fennici . 43, No. 5/6, 2006, pp. 390-406.
- ↑ Bequaert, J .: Color variation in the South American social wasp, Polistes carnifex (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) . In: Rev. Entomol. . 6, 1936, pp. 376-383.
- ↑ Hogue: Polistes Paper Wasps . In: Latin American Insects and Entomology . University of California Press, 1993, ISBN 978-0-520-07849-9 , p. 424.
- ^ Belt, Thomas G .: The Naturalist in Nicaragua: Wasps . In: A Book of Natural History . FreeFictionBooks.org. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ↑ a b Patrick Carone: How YouTube's Top Wildlife Star Turned Getting Bitten by Animals Into Over 13 Million Subscribers ( en ) In: Entrepreneur . December 13, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2019: “ My most painful sting came from the Executioner Wasp, that episode comes out late December and it was, without question, the most painful a sting has been. "
