Apoica flavissima
Apoica flavissima is a paper wasp found primarily in South America. The species is distinguishable by its light coloring, unique single comb nests, and nocturnal nature. A notable feature of this species is the size dimorphism between queens and workers. Unlike most Vespidae wasps, Apocia flavissima queens are smaller than their worker counterparts which results in unique intraspecies relationships.
Taxonomy and phylogeny
Originally, Apoica flavissima was thought to be a variety of Apoica pallens because of similar color and physical characteristics. It was not until 1972 that J. Van Der Vecht identified that three distinct species were mistakenly being categorized as one. Today, A. pallens, A. flavissima, and A. gelida are identified by differences in male genitalia. In addition, distinction can be made through slight color differences. While A. flavissima are entirely pale yellow, A. pallens are mostly yellow but have brown legs. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Apoica flavissima is most closely related to Apoica pallens.Description
A. flavissima typically have a mesoscutum that is dark yellow with outstanding bristles. The gaster is pale yellow along with the humeral plate. The posterior ocelli of the species are widely separated from the eyes. In addition, the wing length is typically. Colonies of A. flavissima can be identified morphologically by having smaller queens than workers.Unlike most wasp species, A flavissima exhibit a morphological caste difference in which the queen is smaller than workers in overall size and in other notable measurements. Specifically, workers have larger alitrunk length and number of hamuli. In addition to being smaller, the queens also exhibit color differences from the workers. Queens typically have a darker brown frons, clypeus, and mandible, while workers exhibit a light yellow coloring. Workers typically have a dark brown coloring of the basal half of the first gastral tergite while queens are typically light yellow. The most striking morphological difference between queens and workers relates to the lateral tip of the pronotum. Queens exhibit a tip that is gradually rounded while workers have a more acutely curved tip.
Nests are also a defining feature as they only have one comb. Young nests tend to appear hexagonal and grow by curving downward and becoming increasingly rounded and oval. The texture of the nests are described as felt-like.
Distribution and habitat
Apoica flavissma are located in South America. The species can be primarily found in Panama, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. This species is found in the Neotropical region, which has some of the greatest biodiversity on earth. Nests are typically found in wooded areas that can provide shade to help with the thermoregulation of the nest.Due to the nocturnal nature of Apoica flavissima, the overall abundance of the species is unknown. It is assumed that the species is relatively common.
Colony cycle
Colonies of Apoica flavissima are produced by the colony emigration of a swarm of at least one queen and multiple workers. A. flavissima differ from many other wasp species during this emigration because some males swarm along with females during this flight. Once a colony is founded, the cycle of an Apoica flavissima colony can be broken into three phases. The first phase is the pre-emergence phase. In this phase, no adult offspring have been produced, only eggs and young larvae. In the second stage, female workers are produced. The third stage is characterized by the production of males and queens. Apoica flavissima exhibits pre-imaginal determination of caste, meaning that an individual's caste is determined in the larval stage.Behavior
Nocturnal nature
Observations of A. flavissima indicate that adult wasps are dormant without any visible movement during the daytime. The only exception is when the colony is disturbed and swarms in a communal defense of the nest. While in this dormant state, the individuals in the colony rest on the under surface of the comb.At nightfall, A. flavissima begin to abruptly depart the nest in an explosive swarm. Frequencies of departure appear to be affected by environmental factors such as cloudiness or rain. In addition, the foraging activities of A. flavissima correspond with phases of the moon as frequency of foraging significantly increases during the full and last quarter moon. This indicates that the presence of light is an important determinant of the nocturnal activities of the species.