Social biology of Parischnogaster striatula (Hymenoptera: Stenogastrinae)

The social biology of the wasp Parischnogaster striatula has been studied in Peninsular Malaysia. This species shows the main characteristics of hover wasps (Vespidae, Stenogastrinae) which set themaside fromthe other socialVespidae. These include the use of an abdominal secretion in brood rearing, the three-phase egg deposition and the presence of only four larval instars. Colonies are invariably small sized and on average 1.92 females on the nests present developed ovaries. Colony life revolves around a dominant female, which has developed ovaries and spendsmost of her time on the nest.Since visual cueswere recently found in two different species of Liostenogaster (Stenogastrinae), we also looked for a possible badge of status in these wasps but with negative results.