The Effects of the Social Hierarchy Destabilization on the Foraging Activity of Eusocial Wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus styx Richards, 1940 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae)

The genus Mischocyttarus comprises 245 species of neotropical basal eusocial wasps. They form small colonies (rarely more than few tens of individuals); castes are morphologically undifferentiated and determined behaviorally by agonistic interactions. The aim of this study was to verify the effects...

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Main Authors: Vanderlei Conceição Costa Filho, Sulene Noriko Shima, Ivan Cesar Desuó, André Sunao Nishiuchi Murakami
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2011-01-01
Series:Psyche: A Journal of Entomology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/501381
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author Vanderlei Conceição Costa Filho
Sulene Noriko Shima
Ivan Cesar Desuó
André Sunao Nishiuchi Murakami
author_facet Vanderlei Conceição Costa Filho
Sulene Noriko Shima
Ivan Cesar Desuó
André Sunao Nishiuchi Murakami
author_sort Vanderlei Conceição Costa Filho
collection DOAJ
description The genus Mischocyttarus comprises 245 species of neotropical basal eusocial wasps. They form small colonies (rarely more than few tens of individuals); castes are morphologically undifferentiated and determined behaviorally by agonistic interactions. The aim of this study was to verify the effects of the experimental disruption of social hierarchy on foraging activity of Mischocyttarus cerberus styx. We observed six colonies in postemergence phase and recorded data on the foraging activity under two experimental conditions: (1) removal of lower-ranked females and (2) removal of higher ranked females, except the queen. Our results showed that the removal of higher-ranked females had higher effect on the number of foraging trips of M. cerberus styx than the removal of lower-ranked females (the number of foraging trips/hour decreased by 66.4% and 32.7%, resp.). Such results are likely due to the social organization of this species and the presence of a distinct class of females, which in this study were regarded as intermediates. Our data also showed that, irrespective of the hierarchical status of the females, the removal of two or three individuals affected significantly the number of foraging trips in this species.
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institution Kabale University
issn 0033-2615
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language English
publishDate 2011-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Psyche: A Journal of Entomology
spelling doaj-art-6b09fe9ac7f442c2aa90fd0e7c3310f72025-02-03T01:23:33ZengWileyPsyche: A Journal of Entomology0033-26151687-74382011-01-01201110.1155/2011/501381501381The Effects of the Social Hierarchy Destabilization on the Foraging Activity of Eusocial Wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus styx Richards, 1940 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae)Vanderlei Conceição Costa Filho0Sulene Noriko Shima1Ivan Cesar Desuó2André Sunao Nishiuchi Murakami3Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP, Avenida 24-A, 1515, 13506-900 Rio Claro, SP, BrazilDepartamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP, Avenida 24-A, 1515, 13506-900 Rio Claro, SP, BrazilDepartamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP, Avenida 24-A, 1515, 13506-900 Rio Claro, SP, BrazilDepartamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP, Avenida 24-A, 1515, 13506-900 Rio Claro, SP, BrazilThe genus Mischocyttarus comprises 245 species of neotropical basal eusocial wasps. They form small colonies (rarely more than few tens of individuals); castes are morphologically undifferentiated and determined behaviorally by agonistic interactions. The aim of this study was to verify the effects of the experimental disruption of social hierarchy on foraging activity of Mischocyttarus cerberus styx. We observed six colonies in postemergence phase and recorded data on the foraging activity under two experimental conditions: (1) removal of lower-ranked females and (2) removal of higher ranked females, except the queen. Our results showed that the removal of higher-ranked females had higher effect on the number of foraging trips of M. cerberus styx than the removal of lower-ranked females (the number of foraging trips/hour decreased by 66.4% and 32.7%, resp.). Such results are likely due to the social organization of this species and the presence of a distinct class of females, which in this study were regarded as intermediates. Our data also showed that, irrespective of the hierarchical status of the females, the removal of two or three individuals affected significantly the number of foraging trips in this species.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/501381
spellingShingle Vanderlei Conceição Costa Filho
Sulene Noriko Shima
Ivan Cesar Desuó
André Sunao Nishiuchi Murakami
The Effects of the Social Hierarchy Destabilization on the Foraging Activity of Eusocial Wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus styx Richards, 1940 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae)
Psyche: A Journal of Entomology
title The Effects of the Social Hierarchy Destabilization on the Foraging Activity of Eusocial Wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus styx Richards, 1940 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae)
title_full The Effects of the Social Hierarchy Destabilization on the Foraging Activity of Eusocial Wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus styx Richards, 1940 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae)
title_fullStr The Effects of the Social Hierarchy Destabilization on the Foraging Activity of Eusocial Wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus styx Richards, 1940 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae)
title_full_unstemmed The Effects of the Social Hierarchy Destabilization on the Foraging Activity of Eusocial Wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus styx Richards, 1940 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae)
title_short The Effects of the Social Hierarchy Destabilization on the Foraging Activity of Eusocial Wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus styx Richards, 1940 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae)
title_sort effects of the social hierarchy destabilization on the foraging activity of eusocial wasp mischocyttarus cerberus styx richards 1940 hymenoptera vespidae polistinae
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/501381
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