NESTMATE DISCRIMINATION AMONG LABORATORY OVERWINTERED FOUNDRESSES OF THE PAPER WASP, POLISTES FUSCATUS (HYMENOPTERA: VESPIDAE)

1983 ◽  
Vol 115 (6) ◽  
pp. 655-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen M. Bornais ◽  
Christine M. Larch ◽  
George J. Gamboa ◽  
Raymond B. Daily
Keyword(s):  
Paper Wasp ◽  
Polistes Fuscatus ◽  
Natal Nest ◽  
Nestmate Discrimination ◽  
Isolation Period

AbstractApproximately 140 gynes of the paper wasp, Polistes fuscatus, were overwintered in the laboratory with their natal nest and nestmates. After a 14 day isolation period, three marked female nestmates were placed into a nesting box with three marked female nestmates from a presumably unrelated colony. Fifteen nesting boxes were constructed, each with six gynes from two different sister groups. The identities of paired gynes (spaced ≤5 cm apart) and foundresses on nests were recorded in blind observations. Sisters preferentially paired (P <.0001) prior to nesting. Of 18 foundress associations formed at newly constructed nests, 16 consisted of sister groups.

scholarly journals Hormone-mediated dispersal and sexual maturation in males of the social paper wasp Polistes lanio

2020 ◽  
Vol 223 (23) ◽  
pp. jeb226472
Author(s):  
Robin J. Southon ◽  
Andrew N. Radford ◽  
Seirian Sumner
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Maturation ◽  
Paper Wasp ◽  
Social Hymenoptera ◽  
Natal Nest ◽  
Male Dispersal ◽  
Accessory Glands ◽  
Social Species ◽  
The Social ◽  
Males And Females

ABSTRACTSex-biased dispersal is common in social species, but the dispersing sex may delay emigration if associated benefits are not immediately attainable. In the social Hymenoptera (ants, some bees and wasps), newly emerged males typically disperse from the natal nest whilst most females remain as philopatric helpers. However, little information exists on the mechanisms regulating male dispersal. Furthermore, the conservation of such mechanisms across the Hymenoptera and any role of sexual maturation are also relatively unknown. Through field observations and mark–recapture, we observed that males of the social paper wasp Polistes lanio emerge from pupation sexually immature, and delay dispersal from their natal nest for up to 7 days whilst undergoing sexual maturation. Delayed dispersal may benefit males by allowing them to mature in the safety of the nest and thus be more competitive in mating. We also demonstrate that both male dispersal and maturation are associated with juvenile hormone (JH), a key regulator of insect reproductive physiology and behaviour, which also has derived functions regulating social organisation in female Hymenoptera. Males treated with methoprene (a JH analogue) dispersed earlier and possessed significantly larger accessory glands than their age-matched controls. These results highlight the wide role of JH in social hymenopteran behaviour, with parallel ancestral functions in males and females, and raise new questions on the nature of selection for sex-biased dispersal.

The function of dart behavior in the paper wasp, Polistes fuscatus

2004 ◽  
Vol 91 (5) ◽  
pp. 220-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Sumana ◽  
Philip T. Starks
Keyword(s):  
Paper Wasp ◽  
Polistes Fuscatus

The function of abdominal stroking in the paper wasp,Polistes fuscatus(Hymenoptera Vespidae)

2002 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.A. Van Hooser ◽  
G.J. Gamboa ◽  
T.G. Fishwild
Keyword(s):  
Paper Wasp ◽  
Polistes Fuscatus

Context-dependent nestmate discrimination in the paper wasp,Polistes dominulus: a critical test of the optimal acceptance threshold model

1998 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 449-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
PHILIP T STARKS ◽  
DANIEL J FISCHER ◽  
REBECCA E WATSON ◽  
GEORGE L MELIKIAN ◽  
SANJAI D NATH
Keyword(s):  
Threshold Model ◽  
Paper Wasp ◽  
Polistes Dominulus ◽  
Critical Test ◽  
Nestmate Discrimination ◽  
Acceptance Threshold ◽  
Context Dependent

scholarly journals Age and social experience induced plasticity across brain regions of the paper wasp Polistes fuscatus

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Jernigan ◽  
Natalie C. Zaba ◽  
Michael J. Sheehan
Keyword(s):  
Visual Processing ◽  
Mushroom Body ◽  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Social Experience ◽  
Social Recognition ◽  
Paper Wasp ◽  
Paper Wasps ◽  
Polistes Fuscatus ◽  
Olfactory Processing

Developmental studies of brain volumes can reveal which portions of neural circuits are sensitive to environmental inputs. In social insects, differences in relative investment across brain regions emerge as behavioural repertoires change during ontogeny or as a result of experience. Here, we test the effects of maturation and social experience on morphological brain development in Polistes fuscatus paper wasps , focusing on brain regions involved in visual and olfactory processing. We find that mature wasps regardless of social experience have relatively larger brains than newly emerged wasps and this difference is driven by changes to mushroom body calyx and visual regions but not olfactory processing neuropils. Notably, social wasps invest more in the anterior optic tubercle (AOT), a visual glomerulus involved in colour and object processing in other taxa, relative to other visual integration centres the mushroom body calyces compared with aged socially naive wasps. Differences in developmental plasticity between visual and olfactory neuropil volumes are discussed in light of behavioural maturation in paper wasps, especially as it relates to social recognition. Previous research has shown that P. fuscatus need social experience to develop specialized visual processing of faces, which is used to individually recognize conspecifics. The present study suggests that the AOT is a candidate brain region that could mediate facial processing in this species.

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