Bug FAQSynoeca cyanea
Synoeca cyanea · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Vespidae
Source: Wikipedia
Synoeca cyanea is a black wasp with metallic blue patches and a red face, found mainly in Brazil and Argentina. It builds nests in Restinga, Atlantic rain forest and mangrove areas, starts new colonies in spring, and can aggressively bite and sting with a barbed stinger.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The wasp is black with metallic blue patches and has a red clypeus on its face.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Its venom is strong enough to cause haemolytic activity.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
It is one of the most aggressive social wasps and will bite and sting when threatened. The sting is barbed and can remain lodged in the skin after the wasp pulls away.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Nests are typically found in Restinga and Atlantic rain forest, and the species also forages and nests in mangrove areas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults and larvae are fed sugary substances, and the species also practices necrophagy.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Colony cycles begin in early spring as temperatures rise, progressing from a pre-emergent to an emergent stage and continuing until the nest is abandoned.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to Brazil and Argentina, with a distribution covering almost the whole of Brazil.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Other Synoeca species lack caste size differences, whereas S. cyanea may show size variation between workers and the queen. It can be distinguished by its red clypeus.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
Do they bite or sting?
Yes, they will bite and sting when threatened, and the sting can stay lodged in the skin.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I identify Synoeca cyanea?
Look for a black wasp with metallic blue patches and a distinctive red clypeus on its face.
Source: Wikipedia
Where are Synoeca cyanea found?
They nest in Restinga, Atlantic rain forest, and mangrove habitats, primarily in Brazil and Argentina.
Source: Wikipedia
Is Synoeca cyanea dangerous to people?
Its strong venom can cause haemolytic activity, and it may bite and sting aggressively.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Vespidae)
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Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synoeca_cyanea
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.