Fig. 1.

Representative wasp brain section and subject wasp colonies. (A) Frontal section of a Mischocyttarus mastigophorus head capsule showing the brain regions that we quantified. Labeled are part of the MB calyx, peduncle, and Kenyon cell body region. CC, central complex; OL, optic lobe, AL, antennal lobe. (B–E) Subject paper wasp species nests. Note the range of founding modes, mature colony sizes, and nest architectures. (B) Polistes instabilis: Independent founding, ~10 adults, open comb. (C) Apoica pallens: Swarm founding, several hundred adults, open comb. (D) Protopolybia exigua: Swarm founding, several dozen adults, enveloped nest. (E) Polybia dimidiata: Swarm founding, tens of thousands of adults, enveloped nest. Approximate head capsule size (A) and nest sizes (B–E) are indicated by the scale bars and their lengths.