Mischocyttarus mexicanus is a New World species of paper wasp[1] that exhibits facultative eusocial behavior and includes at least two subspecies living in the southern United States and Central America.

[2] Individuals in a colony have particular social roles that are plastic, as opposed to rigid castes,[5] and brood parasitism and usurpation have been observed between unrelated conspecifics.

[6] They nest in a variety of types of plants and human constructions, although they have most frequently been observed in palm trees,[3] and they are known to interact with a number of other species as prey, competitors over resources, or foragers.

[8] The genus Mischocyttarus is recognized by having asymmetrical internal and external lobes of the tarsal segments in adults and by appendix-like projections extending forward from the abdominal sternum of mature larvae.

[9] M. mexicanus is a New World wasp species found anywhere from the southern United States to Costa Rica.

On the other hand, the subspecies M. m. cubicola has been observed in the southeastern U.S., the Bahamas, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Texas, and Missouri.

It has been proposed that there is a distribution barrier that runs through northwestern Florida preventing the spread of M. m cubicola west of Alabama.

[10][11] However, this subspecies was observed in Texas and Missouri in 2009 nesting in a number of palm species, other trees, and human constructions.

The nests include a comb consisting of open cells made of paper, and are attached to leaves by a stem.

These observations lead to speculation that M. mexicanus individuals reject foreigners based on the risk that they may usurp their nest.

[7] Additionally, spiders such as orb weavers Argiope aurantia and Nephila clavipes are thought to be predators of M.

[7] Species including Campanotus floridanus, Crematogaster ashmeadi, and Pheidole floridana are known to raid live nests and eat the brood of the wasp colony.

[11] The papaya fruit fly, Toxotrypana curvicauda, has evolved different color variations in populations living in distinct geographic regions.

In the areas of Florida that it shares with M. mexicanus, it has been found to have a brown and dark orange-yellow color, which is similar to M.

[7] Additionally, there has been speculation that M. mexicanus individuals accumulate a particular odor as they age, which is consistent with the observation that older females are more often rejected by foreign nests.

[1] However, these observations are consistent with the idea that M. mexicanus, like other wasps, use chemicals to communicate through nestmate recognition, pheromone signaling, etc.