unknown - Polistes dorsalis - BugGuide.Net

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Vespoidea » Hornets, Yellowjackets; Paper, Potter, Mason, and Pollen Wasps; and Allies (Vespidae) » Paper Wasps (Polistinae) » Umbrella Paper Wasps (Polistes) » Subgenus Fuscopolistes (Polistes Subgenus Fuscopolistes) » Hunter's Little Paper Wasp (Polistes dorsalis) » Polistes dorsalis dorsalis

Photo#173974

Copyright © 2008 Matt Edmonds

unknown - Polistes dorsalis

St. Pete, Pinellas County, Florida, USA
March 21, 2008

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Contributed by Matt Edmonds on 23 March, 2008 - 10:04am
Last updated 30 December, 2015 - 10:43pm

Moved

Moved from Polistes dorsalis.

… Matthias Buck, 30 December, 2015 - 10:44pm

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Female.

Female.

… Jeff Hole, 14 December, 2010 - 8:49pm

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Polistes dorsalis, nest (FL)

This species can be tricky to separate from P. bellicosus. However, P. bellicosus has entirely red hind femora (see couplet 12 of Polistes key in the Vespid Atlas). Furthermore, Floridian P. bellicosus would never have an almost entirely black pleuron (see second wasp in the background!) [but northern bellicosus from, e.g., MD, NJ may show this colour pattern].

… Matthias Buck, 24 March, 2008 - 9:59am

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Polistes bellicosus...

...I believe.

… Patrick Theobald, 23 March, 2008 - 12:06pm

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Thanks Patrick!
What are the three dots on the wasp's head? Eyes???

… Matt Edmonds, 23 March, 2008 - 12:43pm

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The three dots are the so-called "Ocelli"

(singular: an "ocellus"). They are a kind of secondary visual organ (besides the two large compound eyes), whose exact functions are still poorly understood. What is known is that they are involved in the perception of Infra-red (IR) rays of the spectrum. They seem also to help arousing the insect when suddenly shadowed (e.g., by a potential vertebrate predator).
The mere fact they are disposed in a triangular shape suggests they are involved in perception of spatial clues too.

… Richard Vernier, 23 March, 2008 - 2:44pm

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Great information! Thanks, and I love this web site!

… Matt Edmonds, 23 March, 2008 - 4:17pm

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