Icaria marginata (Lepeletier)

Swezey, O. H., 1942, Wasps of Guam, Insects of Guam I, Honolulu, Hawaii: Bernice P. Bishop Museum, pp. 184-187 : 186

8. Icaria marginata (Lepeletier) .*

Epipona marginata Lepeletier , Hist. nat. Ins., Hymenopt. 1: 541, 1836.

Icaria marginata (Lepeletier) Saussure , Etudes Fam. Vespides 2: 237, 1853-58. Fullaway, Haw. Ent. Soc., Proc. 2: 283, 1913.

Agana, March 28, Bryan; Orote Peninsula, April 9, Bryan; Talofofo, April 11, Bryan; Yigo, April 13, Bryan; Upi Trail, May 5, Bryan; Piti, May 1, July 24, Sept. 14, Swezey; Mt. Tenjo, May 3, Swezey; Barrigada, June 14, on Crotalaria flowers, Aug. 28; on corn tassels, Swezey; Dededo, Aug. 11, Swezey; Mata, Nov. 11, Swezey.

This species is smaller and more abundant than the Polistes wasps. It is to be seen searching for caterpillars in grass lands, gardens, fields, roadsides and in the forests. Leafroller caterpillars are their particular prey. These are used for daily feeding to their larvae in paper nests. The nests are composed of much smaller cells than those of Polistes. The cells are vertical, and the nest is usually elongate and hangs on a slant instead of being horizontal and nearly circular as is the Polistes nest. These nests are commonly found on the under side of palm leaves, in hedges and on mango leaves. One nest found among mango leaves contained 541 cells. This wasp is quick to attack when its nest is disturbed, and the sting is severe for its size. We found several TODO TODO specimens dead with a fungus disease, the same kind as found on Polistes niacaensis. This may prove to be Hirsutella saussurei (Cooke) .