Comparative timing of brood development between multiple‐ and single‐foundress colonies of the paper wasp, Polistes metricus

. Multiple‐foundress colonies of Polistes metricus Say produce their first workers earlier than single‐foundress colonies. This is probably an advantage in reducing predation and usurpation by conspecifics and may partially explain the advantage to certain foundresses in joining other foundresses, likely their sisters, rather than establishing their own nests alone. There is no evidence that multiple foundresses work synergistically to accelerate brood development. Rather, foundresses normally join early‐established nests so that multiple‐foundress nests have an early start and thus produce workers early in the season.