Discrete dimorphism among castes of the bald-faced hornet Dolichovespula maculata (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in different phases of the colony cycle

Author(s)

Felippotti, G. T. ^[1] ; Tanaka Junior, G. M. ^{[1, 2]} ; Noll, F. B. ^[2] ; Wenzel, J. W. ^[3]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Biol, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Preto, BR-14049 Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

^[2] UNESP, Lab Vespas Sociais, Dept Zool & Bot, Inst Biociencias Letras & Ciencias Exatas, Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, SP - Brazil

^[3] Ohio State Univ, Dept Ecol Evolut & Organismal Biol, Columbus, OH 43210 - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Journal of Natural History; v. 43, n. 39-40, p. 2482-2491, 2009.
• Web of Science Citations: 3

Abstract

Morphological and physiological caste differences were compared from colonies of Dolichovespula maculata in middle and late phases of the colony cycle. The females showed three patterns of ovarian development and only females classified as queens were inseminated. In both phases, queens were larger than workers for most measures. Discriminant analyses showed high distinction of caste in both phases. We also found highly pronounced qualitative differences: workers had hairs covering the entire body whereas queens had no hair and also some colour differences in the gaster. These results indicate that D. maculata presents pre-imaginal differentiation as seen in other Vespinae, and that size variation occurs from colony to colony such that queens of one colony may be comparable to workers of a different colony although the castes are always distinguishable within colonies. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 08/04748-1 - John Warren Wenzel | Ohio State University - Estados Unidos
• Grantee: Fernando Barbosa Noll
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• FAPESP's process: 07/08633-1 - Social interactions, foraging and biodiversity of neotropical social wasps.
• Grantee: Fernando Barbosa Noll
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants