Species Brachygastra mellifica - Mexican Honey Wasp

Mexican Bee

Author of species is Say, 1837, as Polistes.

mell, -i, -it (L). Honey

fic, =ation (L). Make, making (1)

Only one species in this genus in the U.S.

7-9 mm

See photos.

s. Texas and s. Arizona in the U.S. (2) Per Sudgen and McAllen (1994), the historic northern limits in Texas were Zapata to Kleberg counties. Full sized nest found in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas in July 2007.

The southern AZ record is 100 years old from Nogales.

Occurs in all but the driest habitats (3)

Larvae feed on honey. (3)

Eusocial, that is, completely social, with worker and reproductive castes. More than one queen per hive, and there are females present with ovaries intermediate in size between workers and queens. Form large colonies by swarming (coordinated groups of queens and workers). Store honey, but do not cap cells, as do bees. Nests are perennial, built in low trees, with as many as 50,000 cells (4) (2).

One of the very few insects other than bees to produce and store honey.

Comment from Dr. Joan Strassmann, "They are docile a lot, but then they can explode, attacking en masse."

Pachodynerus nasidens (Eumeninae), has a larger first gastral segment than does the Mexican Honey Wasp:

Evans, The Wasps--discusses biology of genus (4)

Arnett, p. 591--description (2)

Sugden, E. A. and R. L. McAllen. 1994. Observations on foraging, population and nest biology of the Mexican honey wasp, Brachygastra mellifica (Say) in Texas (Vespidae: Polybiinae). J. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 67(2):141-155. (referenced here)

Texas Entomology - Mike Quinn

Brachygastra mellifica - Wikipedia

Eusocial Paper Wasp Genera and Research

Daniel J. Kruger--Univ. Michigan

Texas Agricultural Extension Service--states is fairly docile.