Paper wasp - Eggs and larvae

Description:

The paper wasp abdomen is spindle-shaped and tapers at both ends, whereas the yellowjacket abdomen is broad at both ends, similar to that of the honey bee. Paper wasps are slender in appearance and are approximately 8.6 cm long; yellowjackets are robust and are about 1.3 cm in length.

Paper wasps are social insects, since individuals of the same species cooperate in caring for the young, labor is divided between reproductives and workers, and generations overlap in such a way that offspring assist their parents in contributing to colony labor. The paper wasp nest is open-faced, single-layered, and shaped like an inverted umbrella. These nests are constructed above ground and can be found hanging from eaves, branches of trees and shrubs, flowering plants, garage ceilings, fences, attics of homes, and other protected areas. The nest material is made up of a mixture of masticated wood and the salivary secretions of the female wasps. The nest is started by a mated female queen wasp who builds a small number of cells and into which she deposits an egg. The eggs will hatch and the emerging larvae will continue to develop and grow within the cell. The queen will forage for food outside the nest and bring back the food to the growing larvae until such time as pupation occurs. All emerging adults will be female workers with undeveloped reproductive organs. These new female workers will then assume the responsibility of the feeding of all other larvae and further construction of the nest, while the queen will then devote all her time to egg-laying. Paper wasps' nests seldom exceed 200 insects. Duration of a colony can be for approximately six to seven months and is primarily dependent upon the reproductive capacity of the queen.

Based on data for paper wasps in similar tropical areas, the eggs are presumed to hatch in about two weeks.

Fed insects (caterpillars, etc.) and nectar by the queen. These larvae transform into adults in about two months from the time of egg laying.

Males and sterile females assume the function of workers to maintain the colony. With this support, the queen becomes an egg-laying entity. (http://www.extento.hawaii.edu/kbase/urba...)

Notes:

Mouthparts are for chewing. Nests are built from wood fiber collected from posts and occasionally from live plant stems, causing some plant damage. This fiber is chewed and formed into a single paper-like comb of hexagonal cells. Nests are oriented downward and are suspended by a single filament. Mature nests contain up to 200 cells. Paper wasps prey on insects such as caterpillars, flies and beetle larvae which they feed to larvae. They actively forage during the day and all colony members rest on the nest at night. (https://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg...)

This spotting shows alveoli or hexagonal cells with eggs and larvae. In all cells of the nest, there is a transparent droplet, it would be a type of repellent? More information about this sporting: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/117...