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Issue: Vol. 5406 No. 4: 8 Feb. 2024
Type: Article
Published: 2024-02-08
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5406.4.2
Page range: 519-534
Abstract views: 144
PDF downloaded: 1

The paper wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) of Sri Lanka recorded from recent investigations

Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences; Faculty of Science; University of Colombo; 94; Kumaratunga Munidasa Mawatha; Colombo 00700; Sri Lanka
Faculty of Computing; Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology; New Kandy Road; Malabe; 10115; Sri Lanka
School of Engineering and Information Technology; Murdoch University; Perth; West Australia
Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences; Faculty of Science; University of Colombo; 94; Kumaratunga Munidasa Mawatha; Colombo 00700; Sri Lanka
Hymenoptera Distribution diversity morphology morphometrics

Abstract

Paper wasps of subfamily Polistinae Lepeletier have been studied in many countries of the world due to their importance as pest species, predators, model organisms in research and medical significance. Seven species have been well documented in Sri Lanka, of these five species represent genus Ropalidia Guérin-Méneville, and two species genus Polistes Latrielle. However, the species have not been studied systematically for many years and recent records are not available. In the present study investigations for wasps (Vespidae) were conducted in 28 locations of all provinces and climatic zones of the country. Five species of paper wasps were found in 15 of the locations investigated, four in the genus Ropalidia and one in the genus Polistes. Ropalidia marginata Lepeletier was the most abundant and widely distributed species, while the other species had more limited distribution. Polistes (Gyrostoma) olivaceus De Geer, previously recorded from Sri Lanka, was not recorded during the present study. All the species of paper wasps encountered in the present study showed changes in distribution from their historical locations, decline in distributional ranges and occurrence in new locations.

 

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