Geotaxis of hornet workers and its improvement during the first days of life as an adult

Abstract

The ability of hornet workers (Vespa orientalis, Vespinae, Hymenoptera) to build geotropical oriented stems and combs has been tested in containers of various geometrical shapes. It was found that hornets display negative geotropism, but the capacity to discriminate the zenith, i.e., the highest point in the container, is not fully developed at eclosion but improves with times during the first 3 days of life.