Honeycomb Ox Tongue-shaped Pastry
Title: Honeycomb Ox Tongue-shaped Pastry
Year: Unknown
Description: This is the nest of the lesser paper wasp Parapolybia varia. This wasp scrapes fibers from plants, mixes them with oral secretions, and then masticates the mixture to form pulp for building a nest. The resulting comb is long, light yellow, and sheet-shaped, resembling the Taiwanese ox tongue-shaped pastry. As such, this species is also known as “the ox tongue wasp.” There is no envelope or outer layer and it hangs from a single petiole, in a nearly horizontal direction, and is curved, forming a dipper shape. As the colony grows, combs are added near the base, almost parallel to the first comb. This nest resembles withered leaves, which camoflauges it against natural predators.
Insect: Lesser paper wasp Parapolybia varia (Fabricius, 1787)
Order Hymenoptera
Family Vespidae
Subfamily Polistinae
Tribe Ropalidiini
Introduction: Parapolybia varia is a medium-sized wasp with an elongated body. It is distributed in low- to mid-elevation areas throughout Taiwan. It prefers to build its nests in low bushes and trees, around 1-3 meters above the ground. The colonies are larger than those of umbrella paper wasps, often consisting of hundreds of individuals. This species is relatively non-aggressive but will swarm if provoked.
Photographed by: Zhang Jia-Hao
