Mating and post-hibernation ovarian development in stylopized and non-stylopized queens of the hornet Vespa analis (Hymenoptera Vespidae)

Abstract

In social insects, post-hibernation queens of independent-founding species (e.g. bumble bees, some ants and wasps) need to overcome various difficulties for survival and reproduction during the initial period of the colony. Specifically, a single queen must perform all tasks related to colony defense and nursing juveniles alone. In this study, we examined whether the reproductive conditions of post-hibernation solitary queens of the vespine wasp Vespa analis are affected by the following four factors: (1) collection date, (2) mating status, (3) body size and (4) the presence of Xenos parasites. The results showed that ovary development of the queens was associated with collection date and mating status but not with body size or parasitism. The positive effects of the first two factors are reasonable, because they are closely related to life history, but the absence of a link between ovary development of the queens and parasitism was surprising. No association of ovary development of the queens with body size prompts the need for more comparative studies, which might reveal differences in the fecundity-body size relationship among temperate Vespa species.