BIOL 312 Lecture Notes - Lecture 33: Carpenter Ant, Nuptial Flight, Hymenoptera

• School: University of Victoria
• Department: Biology
• Course: BIOL 312
• Professor: Steve Perlman

Document Summary

Primitively eusocial hymenoptera: all individuals are morphologically similar. Some colonies are monogynous (one queen one reproductive female), even if there were multiple foundresses. Queen establishes dominance via aggression (biting, eating other females" eggs) and/or pheromonal control. If queen dies, other females can replace her (but only if they are mated) = direct fitness benefits to helping sister/relative if you can ultimately become the queen. Vespine wasps (hornets and yellowjackets): nest founded by single mated female, first offspring are female workers, reproductives produce later, ate away from nest and new queen finds overwintering site. ________________________ age polyethism (tasks change as you age). Honey bees: queens are larger than workers, control workers (e. g. inhibit reproduction) through pheromones. Drones (males) produced throughout life of colony, do not work, only mate with queens. Trophogenic caste differentiation (quantity and quality of larval diet e. g. royal jelly dictates development) common in eusocial hymenoptera, nutritional statue affects hormonal development. Worker (age) polyethism, e. g. foraging, tending young, nest.