Theophylline induces diapause-like state in social wasps

Abstract

Feeding of theophylline to hornet workers from their moment of eclosion during the summer results in the following effects on the hornets: loss of appetite for proteins, inhibited ovarial development, no cell-building activity, negative phototaxis, gradual slow-down of spontaneous motor activity, difficulty in flight and orientation, and an overall behavior pattern reminiscent of hornet queens in nature when they are in a state of winter diapause. These findings suggest that theophylline exerts anti-juvenile-hormone-like effects on hornets and raise the possibility of utilizing theophylline baits to suppress pest hornet populations.