Polistes annularis

Description

Polistes annularis (P. annularis) is a species of paper wasp which lives throughout the Caribbean and in parts of North America. Its species name is Latin for "ringed" and it is known for its distinct red body color. It builds its nest under overhangs near bodies of water that minimize the amount of sunlight penetration. It clusters its nests together in large aggregations, and consumes nectar and other insects. Its principal predator is the ant, although birds are also known to prey on it. It is a primitively eusocial wasp, meaning that all individuals develop the capacity for reproduction, regardless of social caste. This primitive eusociality has been seen in bees as well, including the sweat bee, Lasioglossum zephyrum. As such, P. annularis demonstrates behavior typical of other polistine wasps, and has a dominance hierarchy, relatively small colony size, and a female-biased sex ratio. Unlike other wasps, P. annularis is relatively robust in winter conditions, and has also been observed to store honey in advance of hibernation. It is closely related to P. major, P. buysonni, and others in the subgenus Aphanilopterus, and slightly less related to the more common P. bellicosus, P. carolina, P. metricus, and P. fuscatus.