About Ropalidia marginata (Lepeletier, 1836)
Ropalidia marginata individuals are dark reddish in color, slightly lighter than Ropalidia revolutionalis. They have yellow spots on some of their body joints, and a yellow ring encircling their lower abdomen. Males can be distinguished from females by their weaker mandibles and the absence of a stinger. Female workers do not differ morphologically from the queen, and are most often distinguished by their behavior. The distribution of R. marginata ranges from Pakistan in the west to New Guinea, Queensland, and several eastern Pacific islands in the east. It is the most common social wasp found in India. While R. marginata has been extensively studied in India, there is a lack of published research about this species across other parts of its distribution range.
