Polistes crinitus (Felton 1764)

Polistes crinitus multicolor (Olivier)

Vespa multicolor Olivier, 1792, p. 691.

Polistes crinitus var. multicolor.—Richards and Richards, 1951, p. 96.

This is the common “Spanish Jack” or “Jack Spaniel” of the northern Lesser Antilles. Richards and Richards (1951) described several nests. These were suspended from the eaves of buildings, from overhanging rocks, from trees, and from ferns. The comb is horizontal and is supported by a short, thick pedicel; the Richards found 118 cells in their largest nest. Their studies were conducted near Roseau.

Many specimens were taken by members of the Bredin-Archbold-Smithsonian Biological Survey. I have seen the following material: 2♀ ♀, Roseau Valley, 18 November 1920; 2♀ ♀. Roseau, June, September (Spilman, C. Roys): 1♀, Roseau River, 1 mile above Roseau, July (Flint); 3 ♀ ♀, Laudat, 11 June 1911; 8♀ ♀, mouth of Layou River, January, February, October (Evans, Gurney, Clarke); 189♀ Clarke Hall, January–May, July, October–November (Flint, Gagne, Gurney, Clarke, Spangler); 1♀ Springfield Est., June (Davis); 129♀ Pont Cassé and vicinity, April, November (Gagne, Spangler); 2♀ ♀, Dleau Gommier, May (Gagne); 5♀ ♀, Fond Figues River, January, February, April (Evans, Gagne, Wirth); 1♀ Trafalgar, June (Davis); 1♀ mouth of Stewart River, February (Clarke); 29♀ Holmwood Est., July (Jackson); 29♀ ♀, South Chiltern, February, December (Evans, Spangler); 1♀ Grand Bay, February (Evans); 1♀ Macoucheri, February (Wirth); 1♀ Grand Savane, February (Wirth); 1♀ Fond Colet, October (Spangler); 1♀, Fortune, September (Spilman).

Polistes crinitus is a species of paper wasp most commonly found on Hispaniola, Jamaica and other small Caribbean islands. Subspecies of P. crinitus include Polistes crinitus crinitus, Polistes crinitus americanus, and Polistes crinitus multicolor.