Studies on nests of the social wasp Polistes (Epicnemius) cinerascens Saussure showed correlation between the size of the comb and thickness of the peduncle, besides of the height of the complete cells and the number of generations produced. The duration of the colony cycle (199.3 days), the number of cells built (102.9) and adults produced (94.2) allowed to establish the rates: 0.5 cells/day, 0.3 adults/day, and 0.8 adults/cell, the % of productive cells/ nest (55.2), and the number of the generations/colony (up to 4 generations). The number of instars was 5; the growing ratio 1.3; the duration of the immature stages was eggs = 13.0 days, larvae = 23.7, pupae = 22.2 and total duration = 58.6 days; and the longevity of adult wasps = 38.3 days.
Insecta; colony cycle; immature stages; longevity; life table
