Vespula Squamosa Research Articles

Social structure of perennial Vespula squamosa wasp colonies.

Many social species show variation in their social structure in response to different environmental conditions. For example, colonies of the yellowjacket wasp Vespula squamosa are typically headed by a single reproductive queen and survive for only a single season. However, in warmer climates, V. squamosa colonies sometimes persist for multiple years and can grow to extremely large size. We used genetic markers to understand patterns of reproduction and recruitment within these perennial colonies. We genotyped V. squamosa workers, pre‐reproductive queens, and males from perennial colonies in the southeastern United States at 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci and one mitochondrial DNA locus. We found that V. squamosa from perennial nests were produced by multiple reproductives, in contrast to typical annual colonies. Relatedness of nestmates from perennial colonies was significantly lower than relatedness of nestmates from annual colonies. Our analyses of mitochondrial DNA indicated that most V. squamosa perennial colonies represented semiclosed systems whereby all individuals belonged to a single matriline despite the presence of multiple reproductive females. However, new queens recruited into perennial colonies apparently mated with non‐nestmate males. Notably, perennial and annual colonies did not show significant genetic differences, supporting the hypothesis that perennial colony formation represents an instance of social plasticity. Overall, our results indicate that perennial V. squamosa colonies show substantial changes to their social biology compared to typical annual colonies and demonstrate variation in social behaviors in highly social species.

Vespula squamosa

This datasheet on Vespula squamosa covers Identity, Distribution.

Cuticular hydrocarbons determine sex, caste, and nest membership in each of four species of yellowjackets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) of social insects have typically been studied for their roles in reproductive signaling (i.e., fertility) rather than sexual signaling (i.e., interest in mating), resulting in little information about CHCs of males and virgin females. This dearth of information applies particularly to social wasps. We tested the hypothesis that CHCs differentiate sex, caste, and nest membership in each of four yellowjacket species (baldfaced hornets, Dolichovespula maculata; southern yellowjackets, Vespula squamosa; western yellowjackets, V. pensylvanica; V. alascensis). Cold-euthanized queens (21), gynes (81), workers (125), and males (77) from 35 nests were extracted with pentane, and each of the resulting 304 extracts was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and GC–mass spectrometry to identify and quantify CHC constituents (aliphatic alkanes and alkenes; mono-, di-, and tri-methyl-branched alkanes). To determine whether caste and sex differ in CHC profiles of wasps, linear discriminant analyses were performed, using Z-transformed relative CHC peak areas as predictor variables and sex and caste, or nest, as grouping variables. When caste and sex were used as a grouping variable, plots of the first two discriminant functions revealed that wasps from each of the four species clustered into their respective groups (queens, gynes, workers, males), with significant differences in group centroids, as measured by Wilks’ lambda. When nest was used as a grouping variable, plots of the first two discriminant functions revealed that workers from each of the four species and males from each of three species (insufficient sample size for V. pensylvanica) clustered according to nest. Diagnostic power calculations show greater inter-caste than inter-nest variation. Our data support the above hypothesis and inspire future studies to determine the definitive role(s) that gyne- and male-specific CHCs play in the context of sexual communication, from the perspective of both males and females.

Evidence for sex pheromones and inbreeding avoidance in select North American yellowjacket species

AbstractLittle is known about the roles of sex pheromones in mate‐finding behavior of social wasps (Vespidae). Working with the aerial yellowjacket, Dolichovespula arenaria (Fabricius), baldfaced hornet, Dolichovespula maculata (L.), western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica (Saussure), southern yellowjacket, Vespula squamosa (Drury), and Vespula alascensisPackard, we tested the hypotheses (1) that gynes produce an airborne sex pheromone attractive to males, and (2) that males are more strongly attracted to non‐sibling gynes based on olfactory cues. A field experiment provided the first definitive evidence that D. arenaria gynes attract males. Surprisingly, we did not find such evidence in similar field experiments for sexual attractiveness of gynes of V. squamosa, V. pensylvanica, V. alascensis, or D. maculata. In Y‐tube olfactometer experiments with three of these species (D. arenaria, D. maculata, V. pensylvanica), only D. maculata gynes attracted males, provided they were non‐siblings, implying an olfactory‐based mechanism of nestmate recognition and inbreeding avoidance. Lack of sex attraction responses for V. pensylvanica, V. alascensis, and V. squamosa in this study does not rule out pheromone‐mediated sexual communication. Instead, it highlights the possibility that pheromonal signaling may be dependent on the presence of appropriate contextual cues.

Reproductive Partitioning in Vespula squamosa (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

The yellowjacket, Vespula squamosa (Drury) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), is the only eusocial wasp that commonly has 2 social forms (monogyne and polygyne nests), has annual and perennial nests, facultatively usurps the nests of conspecifics, and parasitizes other vespine species. Thus, V. squamosa is ideally suited for examining various phenotypic and genetic variables as they relate to different social alternatives in the context of kin selection theory. In this study, we compared various metrics relating to reproduction for queens in monogyne versus polygyne nests including queen abdominal weight, fertility, egg number, egg size, and worker relatedness. Monogyne nests (N = 7) and polygyne nests (N = 5) were collected from Georgia and Florida, USA. Examination of nest comb material indicated all polygyne nests were perennial; the number of workers in these nests varied from approximately 700 to 36,379. All monogyne nests were annual and had fewer than 1,500 workers. Single queens were more physogastric than their polygyne counterparts and had significantly more mature eggs per ovary. Polygyne queens, however, had significantly larger eggs but produced smaller workers. Twelve percent of the queens in polygyne nests were either devoid of sperm or did not have full spermathecae (n = 142), whereas the spermathecae of single queens (n = 7) were replete with spermatozoa. Mean genetic relatedness among workers in perennial, polygyne nests suggests these nests include multiple egg-laying queens.

Trapping Social Wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Nurseries with Acetic Acid and Isobutanol

Abstract European hornet, Vespa crabro L., damages bark of nursery trees, and most vespid species can be a sting hazard to nursery personnel when nests are disturbed. We tested acetic acid and isobutanol lures in traps for V. crabro spring queens to determine the seasonality of vespid captures and compare the efficacy of patterns of trap placement in Tennessee nurseries. Forty traps in transects from nursery tree blocks into the forest captured 547 vespid queens during 2001 and 2002. These were 78.8% Vespula maculifrons (Buysson), 6.9% Vespula squamosa (Drury), 6.8% V. crabro, 4.8% Dolichovespula maculata (L.), 2.6% Vespula flavopilosa Jacobson, and 0.2% Vespula vidua (Saussure). Total worker and male wasp captures in these traps were 2525 and 28, respectively. Polistes spp. (n = 416) were also trapped. Peak queen trap catch was in April for V. crabro and V. maculifrons and in May for other Vespula. Numbers of worker wasps captured were greater within nursery blocks or at field-forest edges compared with ...

The Southern Yellowjacket, Vespula squamosa (Drury) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Guatemala, Central America

Southern yellowjackets, Vespula squamosa (Drury) were collected at sites in Guatemala, in the Departments of Baja Verapaz, El Progresso, and Zacapa. Collection localities ranged in elevation from 500 to 1,880 m. These locations were forested, or partially forested with some pasture land and coffee plantings, Coffea arabica L. Two active colonies of this wasp were collected and analyzed in May of 2006. The two colonies were subterranean, and the nests had 9 and 11 layers, respectively, of paper comb completely surrounded with external paper envelope. The two nests included 10,581 and 20,715 cells, with 2,818 and 6,105 workers, 203 and 313 queens, and 790 and 454 males respectively. Samples of queens from each nest were dissected. These included numerous queens that were mated and possessed mature eggs, as well as numbers of queens that were unmated and had no eggs. Workers from each nest showed no ovarian development. The nest sizes and populations of wasps for these colonies were within ranges of those reported for nests of this species in North America.

Comparison of Three Liquid Lures for Trapping Social Wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Two citrus-based sodas and a known wasp attractant were compared in a field trial to assess their attractiveness to local nuisance wasp species. The wasps captured included Vespula germanica (F.), Vespula maculifrons (Buysson), Vespula vulgaris (L.), Vespula flavopilosa Jacobson, Vespula squamosa (Drury), Dolichovespula maculata (L.), Polistes fuscatus (L.), Polistes metricus Say, and Polistes dominulus (Christ). Wasps in the genus Vespula were present in significantly higher numbers in traps than Dolichovespula and Polistes. Both citrus soda products were superior to the isobutanol-acetic acid mixture as attractants for almost all of the wasp species.

TRAPPING YELLOWJACKETS (HYMENOPTERA: VESPIDAE) WITH HEPTYL BUTYRATE EMITTED FROM CONTROLLED-RELEASE DISPENSERS

Numbers of workers of Vespula pensylvanica (Saussure) (western yellowjacket) and V. atropilosa (Sladen) trapped with heptyl butyrate in Washington increased with greater release of the attractant from vial dispensers, up to an estimated 2.3 milligrams heptyl butyrate per hour. Vespula germanica (F.) (German yellowjacket) workers were also captured in significant numbers, and numbers of workers captured increased with increased release of heptyl butyrate, up to an estimated 1.4 milligrams per hour. Numbers of workers of Vespula squamosa (Drury) trapped with heptyl butyrate in Oklahoma increased with increased release of heptyl butyrate from dispensers, up to an estimated 3.3 milligrams per hour. Vial dispensers, with holes of 6, 12, 22, and 33 mm diameter in the vial lid, lost 0.42, 1.4, 2.3, and 3.3 milligrams of heptyl butyrate per hour in the laboratory and these rates changed little over a period of 4 weeks, indicating close to a zero order rate of release pattern. Rates of loss of 2 ml heptyl butyrate applied to a cotton ball decreased with exposure time, from an initial rate of 6.0 milligrams per hour to near zero at 16 days post-treatment. Captures of wasps in traps sold commercially might be improved with the use of a controlled-release dispenser.

Intra-caste size differences between two social forms of the southern yellowjacket, Vespula squamosa (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)

Changes in intraspecific social organization are of particular interest to sociobiologists, because an understanding of the genetic and ecological determinants of different social forms bears on the origins of sociality and mating isolation. The Southern Yellowjacket, Vespula squamosa (Drury), occurs as both polygyne and single queen nests. This study examined intra-caste size differences between both social forms of nests. Four polygyne and 13 single queen nests were collected from counties in Florida and Georgia. All single queen nests were one season old, whereas polygyne nests were at least 2 years old. The latter had significantly more workers per nest (p 0.72), whereas the lowest positive correlations were obtained between weight and all other measures of size (r < 0.64). Gynes of both social forms differed significantly in weight (p < 0.001) and thorax length (p < 0.04), whereas workers differed significantly for all six measures of size (p < 0.04 to p < 0.001).

Social Wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) Trapped with Acetic Acid and Isobutanol

The combination of acetic acid and isobutanol is attractive to different species of Vespidae in different areas of the United States. In Washington, the blend was attractive to workers and queens of Vespula pensylvanica (Saussure), Vespula germanica (F.), and workers of Dolichovespula maculata (L.). In Maryland, these chemicals were attractive to worker Vespula maculifrons (Buysson), worker V. germanica, worker Vespula squamosa (Drury), worker D. maculata, worker Vespa crabro L., and female Polistes dominulus F. In Oklahoma, the blend was attractive to worker V. maculifrons, worker V. squamosa, female Polistes fuscatus (F.), and Polistes annularis (L.). Several species were weakly attracted to acetic acid alone; V. maculifrons and D. maculata in Maryland, and V. squamosa, V. maculifrons, P. fuscatus, P. perplexus, and P. annularis in Oklahoma. Queens of V. germanica in Washington, workers of V. maculifrons in Maryland, as well as workers of V. squamosa and V. maculifrons in Oklahoma were weakly attracted to isobutanol alone.

Pheromonal Mediation of Alarm in the Eastern Yellowjacket (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Eastern yellowjacket, Vespula maculifrons (Buysson), workers exhibited alarm responses to a target sphere treated with an extract of conspecific workers or an extract of the wasp sting apparatus. Workers of Vespula squamosa also responded to extracts of the sting apparatus of Vespula maculifrons, indicating some cross reactivity of their alarm pheromones. N-3-methylbutylacetamide, a known alarm pheromone of the southern yellowjacket, Vespula squamosa (Drury), was found in the extract of the eastern yellowjacket venom sac and also elicited alarm in worker V. maculifrons, although only when presented at an unnaturally high dose.

Correlation of Queen Sperm Content with Colony Size in Yellowjackets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

The sperm content of the spermatheca was examined in eleven species of yellowjacket queens collected in the spring of 1987–1989. The sperm count data were highly correlated ( r = 0.84) with total cell numbers of mature nests reported for 10 species. Sperm content varied within and among species with mean numbers of sperm ranging from a low of 3,200 ± 600 in Vespula consobrina in 1988, to a high of 176,000 ± 46,200 in Vespula squamosa , the same year. The implications of mating success and initial sperm quantity variability are discussed.

Allergens in Hymenoptera venom XXV: The amino acid sequences of antigen 5 molecules and the structural basis of antigenic cross-reactivity

The complete amino acid sequences have been determined by solid-phase protein sequencing for eight different vespid venom antigen 5 molecules. These include five species of yellow jackets, Vespula squamosa, V. flavopilosa, V. germanica, V. pensylvanica and V. vidua, representing all three species groups; two variants from the European hornet, Vespa crabro; and a species of paper wasp, Polistes fuscatus, from a second subgenus. The new sequences were compared with the seven previously published sequences from yellow jackets, hornets, and wasps, and to that of Solenopsis invicta 3 allergen from imported fire ant venom. These comparisons provided structural evidence to support the observed high degree of cross-reactivity among the antigens of the common group of yellow jackets and among those of the two common North American subgenera of paper wasps studied. The antigen 5 of V. squamosa and of V. vidua were significantly different from those of the vulgaris group. Common features that could generate immunologic cross-reactivity were seen among the antigen 5 molecules of hornets of both genera and among those of yellow jackets, hornets, and paper wasps. The imported fire ant allergen has only minimal conserved areas in common with the vespid allergens, which explains the lack of observed IgE cross-reactivity. These results provide the structural basis for the cross-reactivity patterns observed in clinical practice and suggest that the commercial extracts of yellow jacket and paper wasp could be prepared with fewer carefully selected species.

Cuticular hydrocarbons of four species of social wasps in the subfamily vespinae: Vespa crabro L., Dolichovespula maculata (L.), Vespula squamosa (Drury), and Vespula maculifrons (Buysson)

1. 1. Cuticular hydrocarbon compositions were determined for queens and workers of: Vespa crabro L., Dolichovespula maculata (L.), Vespula squamosa (Drury), and Vespula maculifrons (Buysson). 2. 2. The major cuticular hydrocarbons of Vespa crabro workers were pentacosene (52%), and n- pentacosane (16%). 3. 3. The major hydrocarbons of Dolichovespula maculata workers were n- heptacosane (28%), 3-methylheptacosane (12%), and 3,13-dimethylheptacosane (11%). 4. 4. The cuticular hydrocarbon compositions of Vespula squamosa and V. maculifrons workers were very similar. n- Heptacosane was the major hydrocarbon (14%) of V. squamosa and 13-methylnonacosane was the major hydrocarbon (19%) of V. maculifrons. 5. 5. For each wasp species, the hydrocarbon composition of the queens was distinct from that of the workers.

Alarm Pheromone Behavior of Vespula squamosa (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Workers of Vespula squamosa (Drury) exhibited alarm behavior in response to extracts of conspecific workers applied to black spheres or black paper cans. This behavior included recruitment from the nest, upwind oriented (anemotactic) flight to the source (attraction), zigzagging flight and hovering immediately downwind of the source, and stinging attacks focused at and near the source. Bioassays of extracts of body parts revealed that the alarm pheromone activity was confined to extracts of the gaster. Within the gaster, the principal source was the venom gland and venom reservoir.

Comparative enzymology of venoms from stinging Hymenoptera

J. O. Schmidt, M. S. Blum and W. L. Overal. Comparative enzymology of venoms from stinging Hymenoptera. Toxicon 24, 907 – 921, 1986. — Venoms from 20 species of stinging Hymenoptera, including nine species of ants and nine species of social wasps, were quantitatively analyzed for the following enzymic activities: phospholipase A, hyaluronidase, lipase, esterase, protease, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase and phosphodiesterase. Phospholipase and hyaluronidase were present in all the venoms, with activity levels generally higher among the wasps than the ants ( P < 0.05). Lipase was present in high activity in several social wasp venoms and one ant venom, in low levels in two other ant venoms and absent from four tested snake venoms. Two-carbon esterase activity was present in the venoms of five social wasps and one ant. Non-specific protease was present at very high activity levels in the venoms of an army ant species and was also present in the venoms of a social wasp and another ant. Acid phosphatase activity was present in eight of the nine ant venoms, but was essentially absent from all the social wasp venoms. Alkaline phosphatase activity was clearly detectable in the venoms of only two species of ants. Phosphodiesterase, an enzyme not previously detected in insect venoms, was present in the venoms of three closely related ant species. Venoms with generally high enzymic activities included those of Polistes infuscatus, Vespula ( V.) squamosa and Pogonomyrmex badius; those with low activities included Dolichovespula maculata, Apoica pallens and Dasymutilla lepeletierii. The 20 venoms were ranked according to overall activity levels using the eight enzyme activities plus lethal, hemolytic and pain-inducing activities. They were also compared phylogenetically using these 11 activities.

Two Polygynous Overwintered Vespula squamosa Colonies from the Southeastern U.S. (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Two overwintered colonies of Vespula squamosa (Drury) are described and compared to conspecific annual colonies from the same region. Volumes occupied by the overwintered nests were 35 and 60 liters with total cell counts of 65,000 and 95,000, respectively. The larger nest (Highlands Co., FL) contained 101 queens with well developed ovaries; the second nest (Clarke Co., GA) had 7 such functional queens but no large (reproductive) cell comb had been constructed. Overwintered Vespula nests are typically characterized by unusually large size, multiple functional queens, decreased winter brood production, and production of reproductives through the winter. Genetically determined plasticity in reproductive and colony ontogeny may have adaptive value in areas where overwintered nests occur.

Color Preference of Vespula squamosa12

Translucent, white plastic wet traps containing a 1:1 volumetric mixture of heptyl butyrate and octyl butyrate and painted buttercup yellow captured significantly more Vespula squamosa (Drury) from Jan. to Sept., whereas traps painted saturn yellow captured significantly more yellowjackets from Oct. to Dec. than unpainted traps or traps painted other colors. The reflected light determined by regression analysis (r = 0.95) to be the most attractive to the yellowjackets during Jan.–Sept. was in the 590 nm region; it was 520 nm from Oct. to Dec. We therefore concluded that V. squamosa distinguish yellow-orange and green colors.

Attractiveness of Synthetic Compounds to Some Eastern Vespula Species1

During 1971–72, 293 candidate materials were tested as potential yellowjacket attractants. Only 2 Vespula species were caught with the synthetic materials. Vespula squamosa (Drury) workers were attracted to 22 compounds and V. maculifrons (Buysson) to 13. Seven chemicals attracted members of both species.