A Review of Our Meagre Knowledge of Asian Polistes, and a Call for More Studies

Abstract

Polistes is considered as one of the most widely and abundantly distributed, speciose genera of primitively eusocial wasps. The biology and behaviour of Polistes have been crucial to understanding the cooperation and conflicts among the nest members and have contributed greatly to our understanding of the functionality and evolution of eusociality. However, despite the wide geographical distribution, our perception of the genus has been shaped largely by the studies on the temperate species of Polistes. The diversity of Polistes species in Asia has been reflected through taxonomic reports but their nesting biology and behaviour are mostly unknown. Empirical studies on their behaviour in response to alternate conditions, like experimental removal of the queens, availability of extra food, etc. are also rare. The geographical origin of Polistes is also disputed. The speculation that Polistes originated in oriental regions can neither be confirmed nor refuted due to the lack of knowledge on Asian Polistes. Such missing information creates a large lacuna in our understanding of the origin and routes of dispersal of the genus. Here, we review the scattered studies on Asian Polistes and attempt to summarise and analyse the available taxonomic, behavioural and phylogenetic information. To date, 76 Polistes species have been reported from 31 Asian countries, out of which Vietnam, India and Japan have the maximum numbers of species. We also review the available behavioural studies on Polistes, mostly qualitative and conducted in Japan to show how these can provide a different perspective on Polistes biology. We also try to point out the major questions that need to be answered to get a broader overview of Asian Polistes. We suggest that more behavioural and phylogenetic studies on various species of Asian Polistes could provide the answers to questions like the geographic origin of the species, the evolution of hibernation (reproductive diapause) in the species, the diversification of nest founding strategies, the queen control on worker reproduction, etc.