Polybia emaciata relies on a diet of liquid nectars which is supplemented with prey insects, particularly flies.

[1] It is well known for being one of only three wasp species in the genus Polybia that uses mud as the primary material for building its nest.

Unlike most other Polybia species, P. emaciata uses mud to build its nest instead of using plant resources.

The main differentiating aspect of this species is not its physical appearance but its nesting structure, which is famous for its closed pear shape and single circular opening at the bottom.

[4] Polybia emaciata is polygynous, which means that multiple queens will simultaneously occupy the same nest.

The proximity of Polybia emaciata nests to nectar-producing plants is beneficial because nectar and fluids make up 53.2% of their diets.

Moreover, these areas typically have a high concentration of prey insects that comprise a large part of the wasp's diet.

[2] Polybia emaciata mainly occupies South America in tropical climates, where fruit and predation is abundant.

[3] Polybia emaciata is a fairly common species and has been used abundantly in the study of eusocial wasps.

[5] They have a life history very similar to that of Parachartergus colobopterus, another neotropical swarm founding wasp species.

Due to the tropical environment and the species location close to the equator there is no seasonal change for the wasps.

However, due to a high degree of kin selection and altruism present in this species, most of the wasps in the nest are still very related.

[8] While Polybia emaciata are much less aggressive as a group than other species in their genus, they are natural predators and are capable of fighting.

When faced with danger, they use signaling techniques like wing waving and leg raising to warn others of their capabilities.

[4] There is also no evidence to suggest that younger or older queens have an advantage when it comes to the number of eggs laid.

To note, however, high levels of relatedness in the species would be more easily explained if dominance was present (the queen was laying more eggs) but that is not the case with Polybia emaciata.

Diptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Neuroptera, Orthoptera, Araneae, and Isopoda are all part of its diet.