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Social behaviour of an Australian paper wasp,Ropalidia plebeiana, with special reference to the process of acceptance of an alien female

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Abstract

Social interactions amongRopalidia plebeiana females on a nest were observed in Brisbane, Australia. Although a single female (queen-like female) tended to remain on the nest most of the time, and received food most frequently from females which returned from foraging trips, no dominance/aggressive acts were directed by her to regular nestmates. When a possibly alien female tried to join the female group, however, the queen-like female attacked this female strongly. The frequency of these attacks gradually decreased and the newcomer was accepted as a regular member by the eighth day. The attacked female showed a special, possibly ritualized, posture and this seemed to have reduced the frequency of attacks.

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Author notes

  1. Yosiaki Itô

    Present address: Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Nematology, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, 464, Nagoya, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Australian Environmental Studies, Griffith University, 4111, Nathan, Qld., Australia

    Yosiaki Itô

  2. Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Nematology, Nagoya University, 464, Nagoya, Japan

    Yosiaki Itô

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  1. Yosiaki Itô
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Itô, Y. Social behaviour of an Australian paper wasp,Ropalidia plebeiana, with special reference to the process of acceptance of an alien female. J. Ethol. 3, 21–25 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02348162

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02348162

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