Reproductive Caste Determination in Eusocial Wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Abstract

Wasps (Vespidae) exhibit a range of social complexity, from solitary living to eusocial colonies, and thus are exemplary for studies of the evolutionary origin and maintenance of social behavior in animals. Integral to the definition of eusociality is the presence of reproductive castes, group members that differ qualitatively in their ability to reproduce in a social setting. Behavioral and morphological evidence suggests that caste determination, the developmental process by which differences in fecundity are established, occurs to a large extent before adult emergence (pre-imaginally) in many species of Vespidae, in both basal and advanced taxa within the clade (Vespinae+Polistinae), which includes most eusocial species. Pre-imaginal determination has been documented in many taxa (e.g. independent-founding Polistinae) where it was not thought to occur. Correlative and experimental studies indicate that differences in nutrition during larval development are often the basis of pre-imaginal caste determination. Pre-imaginal caste determination has important implications for the roles of subfertility and manipulation by nest mates in the evolution of eusocial behavior.

A diapause pathway underlies the gyne phenotype inPolisteswasps, revealing an evolutionary route to caste-containing insect societies

“…Much evidence suggests that Polistes larvae are biased onto worker vs. gyne life histories under the influence of low nourishment for foundress-reared larvae and higher nourishment for worker-reared larvae (33,41). Provisioning level to larvae also is the causal basis for morphologically distinct worker and gyne castes in vespine wasps (29), honey bees (42), and some ants (43), but the evolutionary origins of these developmental programs remain largely unknown.…”

Developmental and dominance‐associated differences in mushroom body structure in the paper wasp Mischocyttarus mastigophorus

“…New M. mastigophorus colonies are initiated throughout the year in the Monteverde area (O'Donnell and Joyce, 2001). Therefore, a newly emerged female's reproductive caste status is not seasonally constrained, as it is for many temperate paper wasp species (O'Donnell, 1998b;Hunt et al, 2003). Furthermore, females' task performance patterns depend on their dominance status, and their behavior can change in response to changes in colony social structure (O'Donnell, 1998c).…”

A skew model for the evolution of sociality via manipulation: why it is better to be feared than loved

“…Plowright & Jay 1968;Packer & Knerer 1985;Gadagkar et al 1988Gadagkar et al , 1990Frank & Crespi 1989; O'Donnell 1998; see also Field & Foster 1999). Moreover, among species of halictine bees, there is a close positive association between the extent to which subordinate workers are smaller than their mother, worker subfertility and female bias of the ¢rst brood (indicative of less dispersal by ¢rst-brood females or less queen supersedure) (Ordway 1965;Plateaux-Quenu 1967;Breed 1975Breed , 1976. These factors are all believed to be under maternal control Packer & Knerer 1985).…”