Texas Paper Wasp

Appearance

''Polistes apachus'' can grow to a maximum length of about 20 mm. The ground color is golden brown. As with all or most ''Polistes'' species, there is no recognizable difference in size or appearance between egg-laying queens and her workers.The antennae are entirely a dull orange-brown. The clypeus is practically flat when viewed from the sides.

On the thorax, the pronotum has a thin yellow border, and its metanotum has two transverse yellow stripes. The anterior stripe is narrow and the posterior stripe is broader. There are two longitudinal yellow stripes on the mesoscutum, however some males do not have these stripes, and they are especially absent in populations from Texas.

The abdomen has alternating stripes of golden brown and yellow. There are two prominent yellow spots/patches positioned opposite each other slightly to the sides of the middle of the second tergite of the metasoma, and usually smaller and less obvious spots on the first, third and subsequent tergites. The metasoma of the male has a tubercle in the middle of the seventh sternite.

Naming

''P. apachus'' is the largest and most brightly-colored ''Polistes'' in the state of California, which helps with differentiate it from similar species. According to the identification key supplied by Bohart and Bechtel, it is most similar to the other Californian ''Polistes'' species ''P. dorsalis'' and ''P. aurifer''. These can be differentiated by means of colour, with ''P. apachus'' being the only yellow and brown coloured species. ''P. dorsalis'' is coloured with black and reddish; ''P. aurifer'' is black and yellow, or red and yellow, depending on the color form. The teething on the edge of the aedeagus is furthermore characteristic, and ''P. apachus'' has a practically flat clypeus, whereas these other two species have a clypeus which is either convex or concave. ''P. dorsalis'' does not share the same range as ''P. apachus''.

''P. apachus'' shares a similar yellow and brown pattern with ''P. exclamans'', which also occurs in California, but is much smaller, lacks spots on the abdomen, and has males lacking a tubercle on the seventh sternite.In the wild they build their nests hanging from a branch near the tops of shrubs or small trees, for example ''Baccharis'' sp. in New Mexico or ''Juniperus'' sp. in Colorado. The adults may be seen drinking nectar from a wide variety of flowering species.

Many species of ''Polistes'' prey on caterpillars, which they do not eat themselves, but macerate to serve as a protein-rich juice for their larvae.

A species which may possibly prey on ''P. apachus'' is the robber fly ''Proctacanthus hinei''.

Distribution

''Polistes apachus'' was collected for the first time in 1856 by the Swiss scientist and wasp specialist de Saussure, who had travelled north from central Mexico into Nuevo México, a vast area spanning from modern Nevada to Texas which the United States had occupied and annexed a few years previously.

''P. apachus'' is found in the United States and Mexico. Bohart and Bechtel believed the Californian population to be disjunct to the rest of the distribution in the east of Mexico and the rest of the USA, however this species has been collected in contiguous areas south into Baja California and eastwards in Arizona.

Status

The IUCN has not evaluated this species' conservation status.

It has been recorded as present in the following protected areas:
⤷ Brantley Lake State Park , New Mexico, USA.
⤷ Cibola National Forest, New Mexico, USA.
⤷ Coronado Historic Site, New Mexico, USA.
⤷ Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory, Austin, Texas, USA.
⤷ Kevin Gottshall Memorial Park, Oklahoma, USA.
⤷ Laguna Grande Restoration Area , Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico.
⤷ Monahans Sandhills State Park, Texas, USA.
⤷ Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico, USA.
⤷ Prescott National Forest, Arizona, USA.
⤷ Tonto National Forest, Arizona, USA.
⤷ White Rocks Nature Preserve, Colorado, USA.
⤷ Zion National Park, Utah, USA.

Behavior

In California the wasps are seen from February through December. These wasps fly slowly with their legs extended and trailing under and behind them. When it is cold, such as sometimes early in the morning, the wasps are more sluggish and slower. They are more active during high daytime temperatures.

This species is often seen drinking water, especially so on hot and dry days. This may be from droplets on plant leaves to sources of open water such as puddles or backyard pools, often standing on water using surface tension.

Habitat

''Polistes apachus'' often makes its nests in vineyards and orchards, and can also be found in more urban areas. It appears that ''P. apachus'' originated in habitats associated with mesquite and grassland more so than wooded areas.

Reproduction

Nests can grow to be large by the end of the season, containing about 150 cells according to Richard Mitchell Bohart and Bechtel, but average nest sizes of up to 320 cells and 13cm in diameter are reported in Californian fig orchards by Ebeling, with a maximum comb size of 15X20 cm. Like all ''Polistes'' species, the nests are single-layered and shaped as an umbrella, with the cells exposed to the air from the bottom , and are suspended from a petiole.

Defense

As outdoor activity has increased, so too has the nuisance of ''P. apachus''. Its stings can lead to serious allergic reactions in humans and cats. Recent studies have used venom specific detection to determine that ''P. apachus'' stings have led to anaphylaxis. Venom immunotherapy can sometimes be used to treat allergies to insect stings, specifically in individuals who experience systematic reactions to insect stings. Though the safety of VIT with the honeybee has been questioned, VIT appears to safe for ''P. apachus'' venom.