A NEW SPECIES OF METAPOLYBIA DUCKE FROM CENTRAL AMERICA (HYMENOPTERA: VESPIDAE; POLISTINAE)

Abstract

A new species of the paper wasp genus Metapolybia Ducke is described, and its similarities to other species of the genus are discussed. Metapolybia Ducke is a small genus of neotropical paper wasps in the tribe Epi- ponini of the subfamily Polistinae, The tribe is of interest for its behavior of founding colonies by swarms of multiple queens accompanied by workers, and the genus is of interest because the phenomenon of cyclical oligogyny. West-Eberhard (1978), studying Metapolybia aztecoides Richards, observed that, although the swarm initi- ating a colony began with multiple egg-layers, only one egg-layer remained by the time that reproductive progeny were produced. This type of colony cycle, termed cyclical oligogyny by Strassmann et al. (1991), is considered to be important in the maintenance of eusociality in swarm-founding wasps, by raising relatedness among queens.