Facultative-sociality

Guides

• Mischocyttarus mexicanus

  Mexican Paper Wasp

  Mischocyttarus mexicanus is a New World paper wasp exhibiting facultative eusocial behavior, where females can nest either solitarily or in groups and may switch between these strategies throughout life. The species includes at least two subspecies: M. m. mexicanus ranging from Mexico to Costa Rica, and M. m. cubicola distributed across the southeastern United States and Caribbean. Nests are constructed from paper fibers and attached to vegetation, particularly palm fronds. The species serves as an important model for studying the evolutionary advantages of flexible social organization in insects.

  eusocialfacultative-socialitypaper-waspnest-plasticitypleometrosishaplometrosisbehavioral-ecologymodel-organismsubspeciesM.-m.-mexicanusM.-m.-cubicola