What functional classification do Vespidae like Polistes often represent?
Social predators bringing multiple prey items to feed a colony.
When classifying wasps functionally, particularly social wasps in the Vespidae family like *Polistes*, their role is defined by how they provision their young. They are categorized as social predators, meaning they actively hunt multiple prey items—such as caterpillars or flies—which are often killed or paralyzed and then transported back to the nest. This collected prey is processed and provided piece by piece to feed the developing larvae throughout the colony's growth phase. This contrasts sharply with solitary parasitoids, who typically target a single host within which the larva develops and consumes the host entirely before emerging. Understanding this functional role informs management strategies, as these predators help control pest populations.
