Colony defense behavior of the primitively eusocial wasp, Mischocyttarus cerberus is related to age
Departamento de Zoologia - Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Caixa Postal 199; 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP, BRAZIL
Abstract
The colony defense behavior of the wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus Richards (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) was studied to verify whether there were different reactions of wasps of different ages and hierarchical positions during attacks of ants. Detailed nest mapping was first performed, then the wasps were marked and were divided in four distinct categories: queens, older workers, younger workers and males. Tests were made simulating attacks of ants in the nests. The main results showed that the M. cerberus behaviors against ant attacks is more related to the age of the wasps than to their hierarchical position. The oldest wasps (queens and older workers) defend the nest more than the younger workers and males, representing a form of temporal polyethism.
Keywords: ethology, hierarchical position, age polyethism
Correspondence:
aolgatogni@yahoo.com.br,
bedilgian@rc.unesp.br
Associate Editor: Tugrul Giray was editor of this paper.
Received: 19 February 2009 | Accepted: 2 July 2010 | Published: 18 August 2010
Copyright: This is an open access paper. We use the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license that permits unrestricted use, provided that the paper is properly attributed.
ISSN: 1536-2442 | Volume 10, Number 136
Togni OC, Giannotti E. 2010. Colony defense behavior of the primitively eusocial wasp, Mischocyttarus cerberus is related to age. Journal of Insect Science 10:136, available online: insectscience.org/10.136
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