Castes in the neotropical social wasp Leipomeles dorsata (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae): a window for workers achieving a new status in the colony

Autor(es)

Noll, Fernando B. ^[1] ; Gomes, Bruno ^[1] ; Lima, Alexandre C. O. ^[2] ; Mateus, Sidnei ^[2] ; Wenzel, John W. ^[3]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias Letras & Ciencias Exatas, Dept Bot & Zool, Lab Vespas Sociais, BR-15054000 Sao Jose De Rio Preto, SP - Brazil

^[2] USP, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Preto, Dept Biol, BR-14014090 Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

^[3] Ohio State Univ, Dept Entomol, Columbus, OH 43210 - USA

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Neotropical Entomology; v. 39, n. 4, p. 549-554, JUL-AUG 2010.
• Citações Web of Science: 1

Resumo

Morphometric studies performed in several species of Neotropical social wasps from the tribe Epiponini showed that in some species there are marked differences between castes, while other species present highly distinct castes with differences only in ovarian development. This work analyzed females from six colonies of the social wasp Leipomeles dorsata (Fabricius) in which queens (egglayers) and workers showed differences in ovarian development and coloration. We propose that wasps with developed ovaries (egglayers) and coloration similar to those of workers are possibly intermediates that obtained the status of queens in the colony. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 07/08633-1 - Interações sociais, forrageio e biodiversidade de vespas sociais Neotropicais.
• Beneficiário: Fernando Barbosa Noll
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular