Galapagos Species Database

Taxon category: Accepted

Origin: Introduced - established

Year of first record: 1988

Mode of introduction: Accidental

Introduction Pathway: Stowaway

Subpathway: Hitchhiker on transport vehicles/cargo

Introduced status: Naturalized

Invasive status: Invasive

Impact in Galapagos: Estimated to prey on 17-154 grams of insect per hectare per day, competing with insectivorous birds for food. In inhabited areas it often builds its nest on house rafters and inflicts a painful sting to humans if disturbed. It also pollinates plants.

Impact elsewhere: This species is a voracious predator of invertebrates, especially butterflies and moths. It is often used as a natural predator to reduced agricultural pests.

Control History in Galapagos: The municipality carries out some nest removal in inhabited areas. The National Park Service also uses traps. Traps can be made at home, and simply consist of a yellow receptacle filled with water and detergent. The wasps are attracted to the yellow color and then drown in the slippery water.

Trophic role: Omnivorous

Reproduction mode: Exclusively sexual

Distribution origin: South America

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Isabela, Floreana, Santiago, Marchena, Pinta, Genovesa, Española, Fernandina, Bartolomé, Champion, Gardner, Daphne Mayor, Pinzón, Plaza Sur, Plaza Norte, Rábida, Santa Fé, Seymour Norte, originally from South America.

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• Amarillo-Suarez Angela R.,Camacho-Erazo, Mariana, Morse, Geoffrey, Rueda, Danny, and Herrera, Henri W. (2020) New Distribution Records and Host Plant Associations of Bruchinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the Galapagos Islands, with a Revised Checklist of Species and their Associated Host Plants The Coleopterists Bulletin, 74(4): 719–723.
• Óscar Mollá Bhushan Shrestha (2020) First record of Hirsutella saussurei in the Galápagos Islands and first evidence parasitizing the invasive paper wasp, Polistes versicolor Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 64(2):e20200031, 2020 https://
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