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_DSC1215 polistes dominula nikon d750 105 mm f5.6 1/320sec iso 100
Polistes dominula és una espècie d'himenòpter apòcrit de la família dels vèspids (Vespidae), subfamília dels polistins (Polistinae), molt semblant a Polistes gallicus amb la què comparteix àrea de distribució a Europa.[1] És una vespa d'agressivitat mitjana o baixa, considerada com a plaga a diversos països, i amb impacte negatiu cap a les activitats agropecuàries, particularment la fruticultura. És nativa d'Europa i del nord d'Àfrica però ha estat introduïda accidentalment als Estats Units i a les serralades de l'Argentina i Xile, on està ben establerta.
Característiques
P. dominula posseeix un cos color negre amb taques grogues. Pot assolir fins a 2 cm de llarg. Presenta l'abdomen allargat i amb cintura molt estreta. Pot ser confosa amb Polistes gallicus, de la qual es diferencia per les galtes i el clipi grocs, sense taques negres. Vespula germanica, que és una altra vespa similar, és molt més agressiva, té potes més curtes, poca cintura i l'abdomen més engruixat; Polistes dominula, en canvi, té potes llargues que porta penjant en volar i antenes color taronja.
Història natural
Habitualment construeix els seus nius en ràfecs i abrics protegits de la intempèrie en els sostres d'edificacions i construccions humanes, encara que també poden aparèixer en arbres. S'alimenta principalment de fruites madures. Normalment ataca només quan percep agressions cap al seu niu.
Picada
En la part final del seu abdomen posseeix l'agulló amb el qual sol atacar inoculant un verí dolorós, el qual en els éssers humans pot produir picades doloroses, edemes, i fins a casos fatals a causa de xoc anafilàctic. Al no perdre el seu agulló quan pica, una mateixa vespa pot atacar diverses vegades a la seva víctima.
The European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) is one of the most common and well-known species of social wasps in the genus Polistes. Its diet is more diverse than those of most Polistes species—many genera of insects versus mainly caterpillars in other Polistes—giving it superior survivability compared to other wasp species during a shortage of resources.
The dominant females are the principal egg layers, while the subordinate females ("auxiliaries") or workers primarily forage and do not lay eggs. This hierarchy is not permanent, though; when the queen is removed from the nest, the second-most dominant female takes over the role of the previous queen.[1] Dominance in females is determined by the severity of the scatteredness in the coloration of the clypeus (face), whereas dominance in males is shown by the variation of spots of their abdomens.[2] P. dominula is common and cosmopolitan due to their exceptional survival features such as productive colony cycle, short development time, and higher ability to endure predator attacks.[3]
These wasps have a lek-based mating system. Unlike most social insects, 35% of P. dominula wasps in a colony are unrelated. It is considered an invasive species in Canada and the United States.
Taxonomy
The European paper wasp was originally described in 1791 by Johann Ludwig Christ as Vespa dominula. The specific epithet dominula is a noun meaning "little mistress",[4] and following the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, species epithets which are nouns do not change when a species is placed in a different genus. Authors who were unaware that dominula was a noun have misspelled the species name as "dominulus" for decades. P. dominula is often referred to as the European paper wasp because of its native distribution and its nests, which are constructed from paper and saliva. It is also frequently referred to in older literature as Polistes gallicus, a separate species with which it was often confused.[5]
Description and identification
Close-up of the head
Little variation occurs among individuals of P. dominula; the wing lengths of males range from 9.5 to 13.0 millimetres (3⁄8 to 1⁄2 in), while those of females range from 8.5 to 12.0 millimetres (5⁄16 to 1⁄2 in). Its body is colored entirely yellow and black, similar to that of Vespula germanica, one of the most common and defensive wasps in its native range.[6] The female mandible is black and sometimes has a yellow spot. Females have a black subantennal mark that rarely has a pair of small, yellow spots. The female vertex sometimes has a pair of small, yellow spots behind the hind ocelli. Females have yellow, comma-shaped scutal spots.[7]
Variations amongst individuals
Although the wasps do not display much conspicuous variation that enables one to tell them apart with the naked eye, definite features are unique to each individual. For example, the abdominal spots on males of P. dominula vary in sizes, locations, and patterns. They act as sexually selective signals and also are associated with social hierarchy within the colonies. Males with smaller, regular patterns of spots are more aggressive and dominant over those with larger, irregular patterns. Similarly, females' appearance varies between individuals and is associated with their social rank. The larger and the more scattered the clypeus marks on the foundress, the higher the probability that she is dominant over other females.[8]
Distribution
P. dominula in the Netherlands
The native range of P. dominula covers much of southern Europe and North Africa, and temperate parts of Asia as far east as China.[9] It has also been introduced to New Zealand,[10] Australia, South Africa,[11] and North and South America. Since the mid-1980s, the population of P. dominula has expanded to rather cooler regions, especially towards northern Europe. Global warming is speculated to have raised temperatures of certain areas, allowing P. dominula to expand to originally cooler regions.[7]
The first North American occurrence of P. dominula was reported in Massachusetts in the late 1970s,[12] and by 1995, this species had been documented throughout the northeastern USA.[13] However, the species is also likely present in additional states, but has just not yet been reported. Although detailed mechanisms of the species' dispersal are still unknown, some number of individuals, including the foundresses, may have hidden inside transportable items such as shipping crates, trailers, boats, or other human-made structures used during international trading between countries.[7] wikipedia dixit
nikond750 105 mm f5.6 1/320sec iso 100
_DSC1215 polistes dominula nikon d750 105 mm f5.6 1/320sec iso 100
Polistes dominula és una espècie d'himenòpter apòcrit de la família dels vèspids (Vespidae), subfamília dels polistins (Polistinae), molt semblant a Polistes gallicus amb la què comparteix àrea de distribució a Europa.[1] És una vespa d'agressivitat mitjana o baixa, considerada com a plaga a diversos països, i amb impacte negatiu cap a les activitats agropecuàries, particularment la fruticultura. És nativa d'Europa i del nord d'Àfrica però ha estat introduïda accidentalment als Estats Units i a les serralades de l'Argentina i Xile, on està ben establerta.
Característiques
P. dominula posseeix un cos color negre amb taques grogues. Pot assolir fins a 2 cm de llarg. Presenta l'abdomen allargat i amb cintura molt estreta. Pot ser confosa amb Polistes gallicus, de la qual es diferencia per les galtes i el clipi grocs, sense taques negres. Vespula germanica, que és una altra vespa similar, és molt més agressiva, té potes més curtes, poca cintura i l'abdomen més engruixat; Polistes dominula, en canvi, té potes llargues que porta penjant en volar i antenes color taronja.
Història natural
Habitualment construeix els seus nius en ràfecs i abrics protegits de la intempèrie en els sostres d'edificacions i construccions humanes, encara que també poden aparèixer en arbres. S'alimenta principalment de fruites madures. Normalment ataca només quan percep agressions cap al seu niu.
Picada
En la part final del seu abdomen posseeix l'agulló amb el qual sol atacar inoculant un verí dolorós, el qual en els éssers humans pot produir picades doloroses, edemes, i fins a casos fatals a causa de xoc anafilàctic. Al no perdre el seu agulló quan pica, una mateixa vespa pot atacar diverses vegades a la seva víctima.
The European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) is one of the most common and well-known species of social wasps in the genus Polistes. Its diet is more diverse than those of most Polistes species—many genera of insects versus mainly caterpillars in other Polistes—giving it superior survivability compared to other wasp species during a shortage of resources.
The dominant females are the principal egg layers, while the subordinate females ("auxiliaries") or workers primarily forage and do not lay eggs. This hierarchy is not permanent, though; when the queen is removed from the nest, the second-most dominant female takes over the role of the previous queen.[1] Dominance in females is determined by the severity of the scatteredness in the coloration of the clypeus (face), whereas dominance in males is shown by the variation of spots of their abdomens.[2] P. dominula is common and cosmopolitan due to their exceptional survival features such as productive colony cycle, short development time, and higher ability to endure predator attacks.[3]
These wasps have a lek-based mating system. Unlike most social insects, 35% of P. dominula wasps in a colony are unrelated. It is considered an invasive species in Canada and the United States.
Taxonomy
The European paper wasp was originally described in 1791 by Johann Ludwig Christ as Vespa dominula. The specific epithet dominula is a noun meaning "little mistress",[4] and following the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, species epithets which are nouns do not change when a species is placed in a different genus. Authors who were unaware that dominula was a noun have misspelled the species name as "dominulus" for decades. P. dominula is often referred to as the European paper wasp because of its native distribution and its nests, which are constructed from paper and saliva. It is also frequently referred to in older literature as Polistes gallicus, a separate species with which it was often confused.[5]
Description and identification
Close-up of the head
Little variation occurs among individuals of P. dominula; the wing lengths of males range from 9.5 to 13.0 millimetres (3⁄8 to 1⁄2 in), while those of females range from 8.5 to 12.0 millimetres (5⁄16 to 1⁄2 in). Its body is colored entirely yellow and black, similar to that of Vespula germanica, one of the most common and defensive wasps in its native range.[6] The female mandible is black and sometimes has a yellow spot. Females have a black subantennal mark that rarely has a pair of small, yellow spots. The female vertex sometimes has a pair of small, yellow spots behind the hind ocelli. Females have yellow, comma-shaped scutal spots.[7]
Variations amongst individuals
Although the wasps do not display much conspicuous variation that enables one to tell them apart with the naked eye, definite features are unique to each individual. For example, the abdominal spots on males of P. dominula vary in sizes, locations, and patterns. They act as sexually selective signals and also are associated with social hierarchy within the colonies. Males with smaller, regular patterns of spots are more aggressive and dominant over those with larger, irregular patterns. Similarly, females' appearance varies between individuals and is associated with their social rank. The larger and the more scattered the clypeus marks on the foundress, the higher the probability that she is dominant over other females.[8]
Distribution
P. dominula in the Netherlands
The native range of P. dominula covers much of southern Europe and North Africa, and temperate parts of Asia as far east as China.[9] It has also been introduced to New Zealand,[10] Australia, South Africa,[11] and North and South America. Since the mid-1980s, the population of P. dominula has expanded to rather cooler regions, especially towards northern Europe. Global warming is speculated to have raised temperatures of certain areas, allowing P. dominula to expand to originally cooler regions.[7]
The first North American occurrence of P. dominula was reported in Massachusetts in the late 1970s,[12] and by 1995, this species had been documented throughout the northeastern USA.[13] However, the species is also likely present in additional states, but has just not yet been reported. Although detailed mechanisms of the species' dispersal are still unknown, some number of individuals, including the foundresses, may have hidden inside transportable items such as shipping crates, trailers, boats, or other human-made structures used during international trading between countries.[7] wikipedia dixit
nikond750 105 mm f5.6 1/320sec iso 100