Nestmate Copulation in the Neotropical Eusocial Wasp Polistes Instabilis de Saussure (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)
Copulation between individually marked nestmates of the Neotropical eusocial wasp Polistes instabilis is reported. Polistes copulations are rarely observed in the field; this observation is the first documented case of nestmate copulation in the genus. Hamilton (1964) predicted high rates of nestma...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
1994-01-01
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| Series: | Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/1994/26309 |
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| Summary: | Copulation between individually marked nestmates of the
Neotropical eusocial wasp Polistes instabilis is reported. Polistes
copulations are rarely observed in the field; this observation is the
first documented case of nestmate copulation in the genus. Hamilton
(1964) predicted high rates of nestmate copulation for tropical
Polistes populations which have asynchronous colony cycles relative
to temperate populations. Nestmate copulation may lead to relatively
high levels of inbreeding in tropical Polistes species. |
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| ISSN: | 0033-2615 1687-7438 |