| Full text | |
| Author(s): |
de Souza, Andre Rodrigues
[1]
;
Baptista, Camila Folly
[2]
;
Santos, Eduardo Fernando
[3]
;
da Silva, Rafael Carvalho
[1]
;
Prato, Amanda da Silva
[1]
;
Antonialli-Junior, William
[4]
;
Pereira Soares, Eva Ramona
[4]
;
Barbosa, Bruno Correa
[5]
;
do Nascimento, Fabio Santos
[1]
;
Lino-Neto, Jose
[2]
Total Authors: 10
|
| Affiliation: | [1] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Preto, Dept Biol, BR-14040901 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[2] Univ Fed Vicosa, Dept Biol Celular & Estrutura, BR-36570900 Vicosa, MG - Brazil
[3] Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias Letras & Ciencias Exatas, Dept Zool & Bot, BR-15054000 Sao Jose Do Rio Preto - Brazil
[4] Univ Estadual MatoGrosso do Sul, Lab Ecol Comportamental LABECO, BR-79804970 Dourados, MS - Brazil
[5] Univ Fed Juiz de Fora, Dept Zool, Lab Ecol Comportamental & Bioacust LABEC, BR-36036900 Juiz De Fora - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 5
|
| Document type: | Journal article |
| Source: | Biological Journal of the Linnean Society; v. 130, n. 3, p. 545-554, JUL 2020. |
| Web of Science Citations: | 1 |
| Abstract | |
Nests of independent-founding primitively eusocial paper wasps are founded by one or a few females. Before worker emergence, foundresses must forage, sometimes leaving the nest unattended. Chemical defence - the application of ant repellent secretions of the Van der Vecht organ (VdVO) on the nest surface - allows brood protection when active defence is weak or not possible. After worker emergence, it is more likely that some wasps stay in the nest, so active nest defence may be more common. Given this constraint on the nest defence, selection for increasing the cuticular secretory area of the VdVO, to improve chemical defence, may be stronger in foundresses (queens) than in workers - morphological castes are hypothesized to evolve. We investigated the occurrence of morphological castes in the Neotropical paper wasp Mischocyttarus. Confirming our prediction, we found that in some (but not all) species, foundresses have a distinct increase in the secretory area of the VdVO in relation to workers; even though there is a strong overlap between caste phenotypes (incipient morphological castes). Implications of these findings for the evolution of morphological castes in primitively eusocial wasps are discussed. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 15/05302-0 - The choice of sexual partner in eusocial wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) |
| Grantee: | André Rodrigues de Souza |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral |