Hunter's Little Paper Wasp
Polistes dorsalis
This record describes Polistes dorsalis (species). Recorded family: Vespidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
P. dorsalis dorsalis - Propodeum usually with two stripes; abdomen yellow-striped and lacking spots. ♀ ♂ P. dorsalis californicus - Propodeum with two stripes; abdomen with yellow spots fused with the stripes, essentially forming broader stripes. ♀ ♂ Arizonan form (part of ssp. californicus under Richards) - essentially like classic P. d. californicus except that the ground color of much of the body is black. P. dorsalis neotropicus - Texas/central form (regarded as ssp. neotropicus by Richards), readily recognized by the extensively (almost entirely) yellow propodeum. This form is disjunct from the true P. d. neotropicus population, which occurs from Veracruz, Mexico, to Costa Rica, so may represent a distinct subspecies.
Wikipedia reference for Polistes dorsalis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polistes_dorsalis.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
- Superfamily
- Vespoidea
- Family
- Vespidae
- Subfamily
- Polistinae
- Genus
- Polistes (Umbrella Paper Wasps)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Polistes dorsalis. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Hymenoptera includes over 150,000 described species of ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies. Earth harbors approximately 20 quadrillion (20×10^15) ants, with a combined biomass of ~12 megatons of dry carbon - exceeding the combined biomass of all wild birds and mammals (PNAS, 2022).
Ecological role of the group
About 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators. The chocolate industry, valued at over $100 billion, depends on pollinating flies and midges. Ants are the dominant soil engineers in most terrestrial ecosystems, turning more soil than earthworms in many habitats.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Pollinators contribute $235-577 billion worth of annual global food production (FAO). In the U.S., bee pollination alone benefits crops valued at $18 billion annually, and honey bees are responsible for $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity. Between April 2023-2024, 55.1% of managed honey bee colonies were lost. The U.S. bee population dropped from 5 million to 2.5 million.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, USDA, EPA, PNAS (2022), US Fish & Wildlife Service. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Hunter's Little Paper Wasp (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Tony DiTerlizzi; Additional contributions by Matthias Buck , Mike Quinn , James Bailey , PaleoJon