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A LABORATORY STUDY ON THE SELECTIVE ADVANTAGE OF FOUNDRESS ASSOCIATIONS IN POLISTES FUSCATUS (HYMENOPTERA: VESPIDAE)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

David L. Gibo
David L. Gibo
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology and Erindale College, University of Toronto, Mississauga, Ontario
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Abstract

Overwintering adults of the social wasp Polistes fuscatus (Fabricius) were collected in the early spring and placed in nest boxes under controlled conditions. Colonies were initiated, and one-, two-, and three-foundress associations were formed. Successful single-foundress colonies were similar to successful multiple-foundress colonies in developmental time for immatures, nest size, and total production of offspring. Multiple-foundress colonies were more likely to produce offspring than were single-foundress colonies. Half of the foundress wasps failed to reproduce, either because the colony failed or because they were non-reproductive subordinates. Apparently, wasps that were likely to fail at reproduction tended to join colonies rather than to initiate colonies. The relevance of this data to hypotheses on the selective advantage of foundress associations is discussed.

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 106 , Issue 1 , January 1974 , pp. 101 - 106
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1974

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