Ropalidia is a large genus of eusocial paper wasps (Polistinae) in the tribe Ropalidiini distributed throughout the Afrotropical, Indomalayan and Australasian biogeographical regions. The genus Ropalidia is unusual because it contains both independent and swarm-founding species.[1] Ropalidia romandi is one of the swarm founding species, meaning that new nests are founded by a large group of workers with a smaller number of inseminated females (egg-laying foundresses),[2] while Ropalidia revolutionalis is independent-founding, meaning that each nest is founded by a single foundress.[3]

Ropalidia
Ropalidia nobilis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae
Subfamily: Polistinae
Tribe: Ropalidiini
Genus: Ropalidia
Guérin-Méneville 1831
Species

approx. 200 species

Ropalidia amabala on nest
Ropalidia distigma
Ropalidia c.f. ornaticeps
Ropalidia variegata female

Description edit

Ropalidia can be distinguished from other genera in the tribe by: the pronotum having a dorsal carina but lacking a pretegular carina, the first metasomal segment being petiolate but (in dorsal view) not parallel-sided, and the mesepisternum lacking a scrobal sulcus.[4]

Species edit

Identification edit

References edit

  1. ^ Yamane, Soichi; Ito, Yosiaki (1994). "Nest architecture of the Australian paper wasp Ropalidia romandi cabeti, with a note on its developmental process (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)". Psyche: A Journal of Entomology. 101 (3–4): 145–158. doi:10.1155/1994/92839.
  2. ^ Hunt, James H. (2007). The Evolution of Social Wasps. Oxford University Press. pp. 57–60.
  3. ^ Yosiaki, Itô (1987). "Social behaviour of the Australian paper wasp, Ropalidia revolutionalis (de Saussure) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)". Journal of Ethology. 5 (2): 115–124. doi:10.1007/bf02349943.
  4. ^ Carpenter, James M.; Nguyen, Lien Phuong Thi (2003). "Keys to the genera of social wasps of South-East Asia (Hymenoptera: Vespidae): Social wasps of South-East Asia". Entomological Science. 6 (3): 183–192. doi:10.1046/j.1343-8786.2003.00016.x.