Differential Nest Parasitism in Three Sympatric Social Wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistes spp.) in the West Indies

Abstract

Jamaica's three species of social wasps were found nesting together in a suburban area. Their nests gave evidence of markedly different parasitoid loads in the sequence Polistes crinitus > P. dorsalis > P. major. Based on larval and pupal silk remains, the moth Chalcoela pegasalis appears to be the main nest parasitoid at this locality. Despite widely different parasitoid loads, the estimated per-nest production of adults was similar among the three species. This suggests a trade-off between investment in anti-parasitoid tactics and in other brood-care activities.

Keywords

• Chalcoela pegasalis
• Jamaica
• nest symbionts