Summary
In a population of the haplometrotic paper waspPolistes riparius, a nest is sometimes usurped by a foundress who has lost its nest before worker emergence. Probability of a nest's being usurped during the pre-emergence stage was 0.11–0.23. Foundresses who did not yet have workers rarely rebuilt destroyed nests, while those with workers frequently did so. Therefore, it seems that a foundress tends to usurp another's nest if her original nest is destroyed before worker emergence, whereas she rebuilds it if her workers have already emerged. About 70% of nests which were destroyed in the pre-male substage were rebuilt, and about 70% of the rebuilt nests produced a mean of 10–20 reproductives of both sexes as compared to 60–90 for non-destroyed nests.
On average, usurping foundresses destroyed 80% of the eggs and 40% of the young larvae of the previous queen during 5 days. About 20% of the usurpers succeeded in producing reproductive offspring. Others failed in reproduction. The most important cause of failure was destruction of their broods by workers of the previous foundresses.
Usurpation of established nests and nest rebuilding are discussed in terms of alternative tactics of the foundress.
Resume
Dans une population de la guêpe monogyne,Polistes riparius, le nid est parfois usurpé par une fondatrice étrangère dont le nid a été détruit avant l'apparition des ouvrières. La probabilité de l'usurpation est 0.11–0.23 en phase de pré-émergence. La fondatrice qui n'a pas encore d'ouvrières reconstruit rarement le nid détruit, tandis que celle qui est accompagnée d'ouvrières le reconstruit fréquemment. Par suite, il semble que la fondatrice tente d'usurper ou de prendre possession du nid d'une autre quand son propre nid est détruit avant l'apparition d'ouvrières; au contraire, après leur apparition, elle tente de reconstruire le nid détruit avec ses propres ouvrières. Environ 70% des nids détruits en sous-phase de pré-mâle sont reconstruits, et environ 70% des nids ainsi reconstruits produisent une moyenne de 10–20 imagos reproducteurs, tandis que des nids ordinaires en produisent 60–90.
Les usurpatrices détruisent, en moyenne, 80% des œufs et 40% des jeunes larves des fondatrices précédentes pendant 5 jours. Environ 20% des usurpatrices réussit à produire des reproducteurs. Les autres ne produisent aucun imago: la cause de l'échec la plus importante est la destruction de leur couvain par des ouvrières des fondatrices précédentes.
On discute l'usurpation des nids établis et la reconstruction du nid détruit du point de vue des tactiques alternatives pour la fondatrice.
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Makino, S. Usurpation and nest rebuilding inPolistes riparius: Two ways to reproduce after the loss of the original nest (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Ins. Soc 36, 116–128 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02225907
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02225907