NESTING BIOLOGY AND DEFENSIVE 
BEHAVIOR OF MISCHOCYTTARUS 
(MONOCYTTARUS) MEXICANUS CUBICOLA 
(VESPIDAE:POLISTINAE)* 
By Henry R. Hermann and Jung-Tai Chao 
Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, 
Athens, Georgia 30602 
Introduction 
Mischocyttarus mexicanus (de Saussure) is one of two species in 
this genus that occurs in the U.S. (Krombein et al., 1979). This 
genus is primarily Neotropical, being treated taxonomicaily by 
Bequaert (1933), Richards (1945, 1978) and Zik&n (1935, 1949). 
Litte (1977, 1979) described the biology of M. mexicanus in 
Florida and M, flavitarsis (de Saussure) in Arizona. M. m. 
mexicanus is found in Texas, Mexico and other parts of Central 
America. M. m. cubicola to date has been found in Georgia, 
Florida, Alabama, Cuba and the Bahamas (Krispyn and Hermann, 
1977; Krombein et al, 1979). 
Litte’s study of the nesting biology and behavior of M. m. 
cubicola (Litte, 1977, then described as M. mexicanus) was carried 
out at Archbold Biological Station at Lake Placid in southern 
Florida (Highlands County) where weather conditions allowed the 
wasps to nest throughout the winter. Our primary study area in 
Georgia had a more temperate climate where a 3 to 4 month 
hibernation period was necessary. 
Sapelo Island, a 14-mile-long barrier island in McIntosh County, 
Georgia, consists of Holocene and Pleistocene deposits (Duncan, 
1982). There is no official weather station on Sapelo Island. 
However, the average annual rainfall from 1944 to 1964 at 
McKinnon Airport on the southern end of St. Simons Island, about 
7 miles south of Sapelo, was 134.6 cm, with half of this falling 
during a 4-month period from June to September. 
Mean minimum temperature for the coldest months was about 
6.1° C (43° F). Temperatures as low as 0° C (32° F) occur only 15 
days of the year. The lowest recorded temperatures were —10° C 
0 Manuscript received by the editor February 6, 1984. 
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