CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION OF THE NEST WALLS, AND NESTING-BEHAVIOR, OF ROPALIDIA-(ICARIELIA)-OPIFEX VANDERVECHT, 1962 (HYMENOPTERA, VESPIDAE), A SOUTHEAST-ASIAN SOCIAL WASP WITH TRANSLUCENT NESTS

Ropalidia opifex nests between leaves of trees, and builds cellophane-like nest walls of pure secretion. Nest structure, nest building behaviour, and the properties and chemical composition of the secretion are reported. The secretion mainly consists of protein. No chitin was found. The selective advantages of the leaf region niche for nesting, and of the unusual type of nest, are discussed. © 1992 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.