The yellow paper wasp, Polistes versicolor (Olivier) was first recorded in the Galapagos archipelago in 1988. Its life cycle and ecological impacts were studied on two islands 11 yr after it was first discovered. This invasive wasp adapted quickly and was found in most environments. Colony counts and adult wasp monitoring showed a strong preference for drier habitats. Nest activities were seasonally synchronized, nest building followed the rains in the hot season (typically January-May), when insect prey increases, and peaked as temperature and rains started to decline. Next, the number of adult wasps peaked during the cool season when there is barely any rain in the drier zones. In Galapagos, almost half of the prey loads of P. versicolor were lepidopteran larvae, but wasps also carried spiders, beetles, and flies back to the colonies. An estimated average of 329 mg of fresh insect prey was consumed per day for an average colony of 120-150 wasp larvae. The wasps preyed upon native and introduced insects, but likely also affect insectivorous vertebrates as competitors for food. Wasps may also compete with native pollinators as they regularly visited flowers to collect nectar, and have been recorded visiting at least 93 plant species in Galapagos, including 66 endemic and native plants. Colonies were attacked by a predatory moth, Taygete sphecophila (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Autostichidae), but colony development was not arrested. High wasp numbers also affect the activities of residents and tourists. A management program for this invasive species in the archipelago is essential.

中文翻译：

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Polistes versicolor（膜翅目：Vespidae），一种在加拉帕戈斯群岛引入的黄蜂：它的生命周期和生态影响

黄纸黄蜂 Polistes versicolor (Olivier) 于 1988 年首次在加拉帕戈斯群岛被记录。在它首次被发现 11 年后，在两个岛屿上研究了它的生命周期和生态影响。这种侵入性黄蜂适应迅速，在大多数环境中都能找到。菌落计数和成年黄蜂监测显示出对干燥栖息地的强烈偏好。巢穴活动是季节性同步的，巢穴的建造是在炎热季节（通常是 1 月至 5 月）降雨后建造的，此时昆虫猎物增加，并随着温度和降雨量开始下降而达到顶峰。接下来，成年黄蜂的数量在凉爽的季节达到顶峰，当时干燥地区几乎没有下雨。在加拉帕戈斯，几乎一半的花斑斑潜蝇猎物是鳞翅目幼虫，但黄蜂也携带蜘蛛、甲虫和苍蝇返回殖民地。平均 120-150 只黄蜂幼虫群平均每天消耗 329 毫克新鲜昆虫猎物。黄蜂捕食本地和外来昆虫，但也可能影响作为食物竞争者的食虫脊椎动物。黄蜂也可能与本地传粉者竞争，因为它们经常访问鲜花以采集花蜜，据记录访问加拉帕戈斯群岛的至少 93 种植物，包括 66 种地方植物和本地植物。群落遭到掠食性蛾 Taygete sphecophila (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Autostichidae) 的攻击，但群落发展并未受到阻碍。高黄蜂数量也会影响居民和游客的活动。对群岛中这种入侵物种的管理计划至关重要。