Social wasps are ecologically and economically important species that benefit humans and ecosystems by eating pest insects, pollinating flowers, and serving as a food source for birds and mammals. Despite the global impact of social wasps, we have a poor understanding of what causes diversification in this group and what mechanisms allow multiple similar species of wasp to co-occur in the same habitat. This project will investigate if character displacement – an evolutionary process through which overlapping species reduce competition by evolving to use alternative resources – has helped drive speciation in social wasps. This knowledge gap is particularly critical because many ecosystems are currently experiencing declines in the biodiversity and abundance of insects. Simultaneously, globalization and anthropogenic change have led to recent expansions of the range sizes of native wasp species as well as an increase in the number of invasive wasp populations worldwide. Improving our understanding of resource partitioning in social wasps is crucial for predicting how future changes in social wasp abundance and distribution will impact local ecosystems. The project will provide opportunities for University of Missouri – St. Louis undergraduate students to participate in impactful scientific research by creating 9 paid undergraduate research positions, and by integrating research activities into a course based undergraduate research experience (CURE) lab for 24 students. The P