Vespinae

Yamane, Seiki; Yamane, Seiki

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-28102-1_133

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 4 publications

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“…Among the very few groups in which females show substantial, continuous size variation with only a statistical difference between castes are pocket-making bumble bees (Apidae: Bombus spp.) (Plowright and Laverty 1984;Goulson 2010) and some vespine wasps (Vespidae) (Edwards 1980;Greene 1991;Yamane and Yamane 2021). Dolichovespula maculata (Linnaeus, 1763) is among the species that fit this pattern well (Greene 1991).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Caste and wing loading in a social wasp (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Dolichovespula maculata)

Starr¹,

Jacobson²,

Krispyn³

et al. 2021

JHR

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Variation in wing design and wing loading according to body weight is well studied across taxa of birds and flying insects. Comparable studies have not been made in the few insects that show substantial size variation within the same phenon of a single species. We examine body measures of adults of the social wasp Dolichovespula maculata (Linnaeus, 1763), with particular attention to the limbs and wing loading. As expected, measures of the length of the legs scales isometrically with overall body weight and size. Against expectation, wing size also scales isometrically with body weight and size. This does not match the general pattern of comparison across species of flying animals, in which larger individuals have relatively larger wings, as a partial compensation for greater wing loading. We suggest that wing size in D. maculata may be constrained by the demands of life in a crowded nest.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Caste and wing loading in a social wasp (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Dolichovespula maculata)

Starr¹,

Jacobson²,

Krispyn³

et al. 2021

JHR

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Comparative Morphology of the Stinger in Social Wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Bissessarsingh

Starr

2021

Insects

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The physical features of the stinger are compared in 51 species of vespid wasps: 4 eumenines and zethines, 2 stenogastrines, 16 independent-founding polistines, 13 swarm-founding New World polistines, and 16 vespines. The overall structure of the stinger is remarkably uniform within the family. Although the wasps show a broad range in body size and social habits, the central part of the venom-delivery apparatus—the sting shaft—varies only to a modest extent in length relative to overall body size. What variation there is shows no apparent correlation with social habits. This is consistent with the hypothesis that stinger size is constrained by the demands of a flight-worthy body. The sting lancets bear distinct, acute barbs in all examined species except in members of the Stenogastrinae. Barbs vary considerably among species in number, their summed lengths, and the relative degree of serration (summed length relative to lancet width). Where they are numerous and strong, it increases the likelihood of the stinger remaining fatally embedded in the skin of a vertebrate adversary (sting autotomy). Although an index that combines the number and strength of barbs is a more natural measure of overall serration, the number of barbs alone is almost as good a predictor of the likelihood of sting autotomy. Across the family as a whole, the tendency to sting autotomy is concentrated in the swarm-founding New World polistines.

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Vespinae

Cited by 2 publications

References 4 publications

Caste and wing loading in a social wasp (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Dolichovespula maculata)

Caste and wing loading in a social wasp (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Dolichovespula maculata)

Comparative Morphology of the Stinger in Social Wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

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