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The Nest of Hover Wasps

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The Biology of Hover Wasps

Abstract

The nests of Hover Wasps are one of the most outstanding aspects of their biology. Nest architecture is usually species-specific and presents general characteristics which differentiate the Stenogastrinae from other social wasps, first on account of the total lack of a peduncle and second for the particular quality of nest material. The chapter describes different architectural solutions encountered in the most common and studied species of six genera and closes with the examination of the defensive function of the nest and its particular structures. The importance of the nest in the evolution of sociality in these wasps is also discussed.

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  1. Dep of Evolutionary Biology “L. Pardi”, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy

    Stefano Turillazzi

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Turillazzi, S. (2012). The Nest of Hover Wasps. In: The Biology of Hover Wasps. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-32680-6_6

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