Eusocial-insects
Guides
Polistes
Umbrella Paper Wasps, Umbrella Wasps, Paper Wasps
Polistes is a cosmopolitan genus of social paper wasps and the sole genus in the tribe Polistini. With over 200 recognized species, it is the largest genus in the family Vespidae. These wasps construct distinctive open, single-layered umbrella-shaped nests from wood fibers mixed with saliva, typically suspended by a narrow stalk from protected surfaces. They exhibit complex social behavior including dominance hierarchies, kin recognition through learned chemical cues, and cooperative colony founding. While generally less aggressive than yellowjackets, they will defend nests when provoked.
Reticulitermes
subterranean termites
Reticulitermes is a genus of subterranean termites in the family Rhinotermitidae, found across temperate regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. These termites are economically significant structural pests that live in soil and construct mud tubes to access above-ground wood. Colonies exhibit a three-caste system of workers, soldiers, and reproductives, with workers retaining developmental plasticity to become ergatoid reproductives. Species identification within the genus often requires molecular techniques due to overlapping morphological characteristics.