Mexican Honey Wasp

Brachygastra mellifica — the Mexican honey wasp — is one of about 10 species in genus Brachygastra and one of only a handful of wasps in the world that produce and store honey. The species is a social vespid wasp native to Mexico and the southwestern US (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona). Colonies of 1,000-20,000 workers construct paper-mâché nests with multiple layers of comb — the upper layers contain brood, the lower layers contain honey storage. The wasps forage for nectar at flowers (acting as pollinators), prey on other insects (caterpillars, flies, small wasps) to provision the brood (acting as predators), and convert nectar to honey through evaporation and enzymatic processing inside the colony — exactly like honey bees. The honey is stored in hexagonal cells (architecturally similar to bee comb but constructed of paper rather than wax). Indigenous Mexican peoples (notably the Tarahumara, Otomí, and several Maya groups) have harvested Mexican honey wasp honey for centuries. The honey is darker, more viscous, and more strongly flavored than European honey-bee honey, with herbaceous and resinous notes from the plant nectars the wasps prefer. The species can sting (defensively) but is not aggressive away from the nest. Two related Brachygastra species (B. lecheguana and B. azteca) are also honey-producers and are similarly harvested.