Morphological and physiological variation between queens and workers of Protonectarina sylveirae (de Saussure) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Epiponini)

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Morphological and physiological variation between queens and workers of Protonectarina sylveirae (de Saussure) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Epiponini). The Neotropical swarm-founding wasps, Epiponini, range from the absence of morphological differentiation between castes to highly distinct castes. We measured eight body parts of females of two colonies of Protonectarina sylveirae (de Saussure, 1854). ANOVA and Discriminant Analysis evidenced significant differences between castes, as previously observed by other authors for other species of Epiponini. However, some females previously categorized as queens, were actually workers, supported by our statistic analyses. These individuals showed intermediate morphological features between queens and workers, having distinct patterns of hairs and clypeal spots. The castes of P. sylveirae are distinct, however intermediate individuals may be found in colonies promoting social flexibility.

Protonectarina sylveirae (Hymenoptera: Vespidae): first report preying Bedellia somnulentella (Lepidoptera: Bedelliidae) in Brazil

“…The number of P. sylveirae individuals per nest can be thousands, including workers, males and queens (Arab et al, 2010), as reported for approximately 43,000 individuals, including 500 queens and large numbers of eggs, larvae and pupae in a nest of this wasp in São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil (Tanaka Junior et al, 2010). The presence of males in P. sylveirae colonies indicates the beginning of the flocking period for the foundation of new nests (Tanaka Junior et al, 2010).…”

“…The high population size of P. sylveirae is due to its swarm and polygyny strategy (more than one queen per nest), reducing the risk of losses and increasing the life span of the colony, whose females are philopatric (Biondi et al, 2013;Locher et al, 2014). The number of P. sylveirae individuals per nest can be thousands, including workers, males and queens (Arab et al, 2010), as reported for approximately 43,000 individuals, including 500 queens and large numbers of eggs, larvae and pupae in a nest of this wasp in São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil (Tanaka Junior et al, 2010). The presence of males in P. sylveirae colonies indicates the beginning of the flocking period for the foundation of new nests (Tanaka Junior et al, 2010).…”