''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly

Afrotropical The Afrotropical realm is one of Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the majority of the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, southern Iran and extreme southwestern Pakistan, and the island ...

quasisocial Sociality is the degree to which individuals in an animal population tend to associate in social groups (gregariousness) and form cooperative societies. Sociality is a survival response to evolutionary pressures. For example, when a mother wasp ...

wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and the solitary wasps. ''Belonogaster'' constructs communal paper nests where the grubs are fed on masticated, soft-bodied insects such as

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

s.https://www.waspweb.org/Vespoidea/Vespidae/Polistinae/Belonogaster/index.htm The type species is ''

Belonogaster juncea ''Belonogaster juncea'' is a typical quasisocial paper wasp from sub-saharan Africa and south-western Asia. It is the type species for the genus ''Belonogaster''. Breeding The nest is similar in form to that of the ''Polistes'' paper wasp's ne ...

'', which consists of two subspecies: ''

Belonogaster juncea colonialis ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' and ''

Belonogaster juncea juncea ''Belonogaster juncea juncea'' is a subspecies of ''Belonogaster juncea'' and is classified as a primitively eusocial wasp, meaning that the species is social while exhibiting a morphology that is indistinguishable from that of other castes. It i ...

''. ''Belanogaster'' wasps are an important food source for wintering European honey buzzards (''Pernis apivorus'') in

sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...

. In African traditional medicine, wasps of the genus are cooked with plant roots and consumed to cure various childhood sicknesses, as well as having ceremonial use similar to that of honey bees (''

Apis mellifera The western honey bee or European honey bee (''Apis mellifera'') is the most common of the 7–12 species of honey bees worldwide. The genus name ''Apis'' is Latin for "bee", and ''mellifera'' is the Latin for "honey-bearing" or "honey carrying", ...

''). Some birds choose to build their nests near the nests of ''Belonogaster'' for protection, including

mousebirds The mousebirds are birds in the order Coliiformes. They are the sister group to the clade Eucavitaves, which includes the Leptosomiformes (the cuckoo roller), Trogoniformes (trogons), Bucerotiformes (hornbills and hoopoes), Piciformes (woodpec ...

and weavers.

Species

The following species are included: *''

Belonogaster abyssinica ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Buysson, 1906 *''

Belonogaster acaulis ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster adenensis ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Giordani Soika, 1957 *''

Belonogaster apicalis ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Saussure, 1900 *''

Belonogaster arabica ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Giordani Soika, 1958 *''

Belonogaster atrata ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Schulthess, 1912 *''

Belonogaster aurata ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster barbata ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster bicolor ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Saussure, 1900 *''

Belonogaster bimaculata ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster brachystoma ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Kohl, 1894 *''

Belonogaster brevipetiolata ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Saussure, 1891 *''

Belonogaster brevitarsus ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster brunnea ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Ritsema, 1874 *''

Belonogaster brunnescens ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster clypeata ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Kohl, 1894 *''

Belonogaster dubia ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Kohl, 1894 *''

Belonogaster eumenoides ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial an ...

'' Saussure, 1891 *'' Belonogaster facialis'' Buysson, 1908 *''

Belonogaster ferruginea ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial an ...

'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster filiventris ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' (Saussure, 1853) *''

Belonogaster flava ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster freyi ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Buysson, 1909 *''

Belonogaster fuscipennis ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial an ...

'' Buysson, 1909 *'' Belonogaster grisea'' (Fabricius, 1775) *''

Belonogaster guerini ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' (Saussure, 1853) *'' Belonogaster hildebrandti'' Saussure, 1891 *''

Belonogaster hirsuta ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster jordani ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial an ...

'' Richards, 1982 *''

'' (Fabricius, 1781) *'' Belonogaster keiseri'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster kelnerpillautae ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial an ...

'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster kohli ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial an ...

'' Schulz, 1906 *''

Belonogaster lateritia ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Gerstaecker, 1855 *'' Belonogaster leonhardii'' Buysson, 1909 *'' Belonogaster leonina'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster levior ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Richards, 1982 *'' Belonogaster libera'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster longitarsus ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial an ...

'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster macilenta ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' (Fabricius, 1781) *''

Belonogaster maculata ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster madecassa ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' (Saussure, 1853) *''

Belonogaster maromandia ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial an ...

'' Richards, 1982 *'' Belonogaster meneliki'' Gribodo, 1879 *''

Belonogaster multipunctata ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Richards, 1982 *'' Belonogaster neavei'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster nigricans ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial an ...

'' Richards, 1982 *'' Belonogaster nitida'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster pennata ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster petiolata ''Belonogaster petiolata'' is a species of primitively eusocial wasp that dwells in southern Africa, in temperate or subhumid climate zones. This wasp species has a strong presence in South Africa and has also been seen in northern Johannesburg. ...

'' (Degeer, 1778) *''

Belonogaster pileata ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial an ...

'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster prasina ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial an ...

'' Saussure, 1891 *''

Belonogaster principalis ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Richards, 1982 *'' Belonogaster punctata'' Richards, 1982 *'' Belonogaster punctilla'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster pusilloides ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Richards, 1982 *'' Belonogaster rothkirchi'' Schulthess, 1914 *''

Belonogaster saeva ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial an ...

'' Saussure, 1891 *''

Belonogaster saussurei ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Kirby, 1881 *'' Belonogaster somereni'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster tarsata ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Kohl, 1893 *''

Belonogaster turbulenta ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial and th ...

'' Kohl, 1894 *''

Belonogaster turgida ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial an ...

'' Kohl, 1894 *''

Belonogaster ugandae ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial an ...

'' Richards, 1982 *''

Belonogaster vasseae ''Belonogaster'' (''belone'' - "needle", ''gaster'' - "belly") is a large genus of mainly Afrotropical quasisocial wasps, although some species occur in Arabia and two extend as far as India. They have characteristics of both the eusocial an ...

'' Buysson, 1906

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4035001 Traditional African medicine Vespidae Hymenoptera of Africa