Comparison of Investment in Nest Construction by the Foundresses of Consubgeneric Polistes Wasps, P. (Polistes) riparius and P. (P.) chinensis (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)

Some metric characters of nests built during the founding phase by foundresses were compared between two consubgeneric Polistes wasps, P. (Polistes) riparius and P. (P.) chinensis, the former of which inhabit higher latitudes. Volumes and dry weights of P. riparius nests were strikingly larger than...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of ethology 1998-12, Vol.16 (2), p.97-104
Main Authors: Yamane, S, Kudo, K, Tajima, T, Nihon'yanagi, K, Shinoda, M, Saito, K, Yamamoto, H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Polistes
Polistes chinensis
Polistes riparius
Vespidae
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Summary:Some metric characters of nests built during the founding phase by foundresses were compared between two consubgeneric Polistes wasps, P. (Polistes) riparius and P. (P.) chinensis, the former of which inhabit higher latitudes. Volumes and dry weights of P. riparius nests were strikingly larger than those of P. chinensis, even when standardized by the foundress weight (2.5 times for volume and 2 times for weight), showing that foundresses of P. riparius invest much more in the nest construction than those of P. chinensis. However, percent weights of oral secretion used for nests to total nest weights were smaller in P. riparius than in P. chinensis (52.1% vs. 60.4 %). The differences in the investment by foundresses of the two species in the construction and maintenance of nests were discussed in relation to climatic and other environmental factors.
ISSN:0289-0771
DOI:10.1007/BF02769288