\u3ci\u3ePolistes Dominulus\u3c/i\u3e (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) Found in Michigan

(excerpt) On 25 May 1995, a single foundress colony of Polistes dominulus (Christ) was discovered on a study site at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan (Oakland County). This is the first record of Polistes dominulus in the state of Michigan

Comparison of the nest materials of Polistes Gallicus (L.), Polistes dominulus (Christ) and Polistes nimpha (Christ) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

The aim of this study was to determine and compare the nest materials and some physical features and elemental composition of the nests of Polistes gallicus (L.), Polistes dominulus (Christ) and Polistes nimpha (Christ) collected in similar ecological conditions. The nest architectures of the three species were similar. In the P. gallicus nest, the average thickness of the fibers was 5.73 μm, the nitrogen concentration was 26.14%, and percentages of the fibers and saliva were 77% and 23%, respectively. In the P. dominulus nest, the average thickness of the fibers was 8.7 μm, and the nitrogen concentration was 27.42%; the percentages of fiber and saliva were 78% and 22%, respectively. In the P. nimpha nest, the average thickness of the fibers was 9.04 μm, the nitrogen concentration was 25.82%, and the percentages of the fiber and saliva were 42% and 58%, respectively. There were differences in the amount of saliva and nitrogen concentrations

Population Genomics of Polistes Wasps

The molecular mechanisms influencing the evolution of social behaviour in insects are of great interest and have been the focus of many recent studies. Chapter one of this thesis reviews several major hypotheses regarding the evolution of sociality. Chapter two outlines the methodological steps taken to generate a high quality population genomic data set for primitively eusocial paper wasps in the genus Polistes. The third chapter of the thesis uses the dataset generated in chapter two to estimate patterns of natural selection on the Polistes genome, and to evaluate the importance of novel and caste biased genes on the fitness of this primitively eusocial species

Large Scale Homing in Honeybees

Honeybee foragers frequently fly several kilometres to and from vital resources, and communicate those locations to their nest mates by a symbolic dance language. Research has shown that they achieve this feat by memorizing landmarks and the skyline panorama, using the sun and polarized skylight as compasses and by integrating their outbound flight paths. In order to investigate the capacity of the honeybees' homing abilities, we artificially displaced foragers to novel release spots at various distances up to 13 km in the four cardinal directions. Returning bees were individually registered by a radio frequency identification (RFID) system at the hive entrance. We found that homing rate, homing speed and the maximum homing distance depend on the release direction. Bees released in the east were more likely to find their way back home, and returned faster than bees released in any other direction, due to the familiarity of global landmarks seen from the hive. Our findings suggest that such large scale homing is facilitated by global landmarks acting as beacons, and possibly the entire skyline panorama.This study was supported by the ARC COE in Vision Sciences (CE0561903), ARC DP-0450535 to SWZ, MP, and HZ (http://www.vision.edu.au/). MP was supported by a grant of the German Excellence Initiative to the Graduate School of Life Sciences, Würzburg University (http://www.graduateschools.uni-wuerzburg.de/life_sciences). This publication was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the University of Wuerzburg in the funding programme Open Access Publishing. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Keragaman Predator Ulat Gerayak Jagung (Spodoptera frugiperda) selama Pertumbuhan Tanaman Jagung (Zea mays L) Di Desa Ireng Lombok Barat

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui Keragaman Predator Ulat Gerayak Jagung (Spodoptera frugiperda) Selama Pertumbuhan Tanaman Jagung (Zea mays) Di Desa Ireng Lombok Barat.Penelitian ini telah dilakukan di lapangan dan laboratorium pada bulan September sampai bulan November 2020. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode deskriptif dengan pengamatan langsung di areal tanaman jagung dan identifikasi koleksi spesimen. Penelitian ini mencakup 2 kegiatan utama, yaitu pengamatan di Lapangan dan pengamatan di Laboratorium. Berdasarkan hasil pengamatan di lapangan dan laboratorium ditemukan 8 spesies serangga predator hama Spodoptera frugiperda di Desa Ireng Kecamatan Gunung Sari, di antaranya Spesies Cheilomenes sexmaculata, Spesies Coelophora inaequalis, Spesies Verania lineate, Spesies Polistes gallicus, Spesies Polyrchachis dives Smith, Spesies Crysopa sp., Spesies Gryllus vernalis dan Spesies Lycosa sp. Indeks keragaman serangga predator hama Spodoptera frugiperda pada pertanaman Jagung adalah (H´) 1,80. Hasil terebut dapat dikategorikan sebagai indeks keanekaragaman sedang, artinya ekosistem dalam kondisi dan produktivitas seimbang serta tekanan ekologis baik. Kelimpahan relatif serangga predator yang terdapat pada pertanaman jagung menujukkan bahwa serangga predator yang memiliki kelimpahan yang berbeda-beda. Kelimpahan tertinggi yaitu serangga predator yang memiliki kelimpahan tertinggi yaitu Spesies Polistes gallicus dengan angka kelimpahan sebesar 29,69%. Nilai kelimpahan yang paling rendah yaitu pada predator Spesies Polyrchachis dives Smith yaitu sebesar 1,95%. Indeks Dominasi dari masing-masing jenis serangga predator hama Spodopterafrugiperda memiliki nilai yang berbeda dan tidak ada satu spesiespun yang mendominasi. Nilai dominasi keseluruhan predator yaitu 0,23 maka nilai dominasi dapat dikatakan mendekati 0 (<0,5) maka tidak ada predator yang mendominasi

Juvenile hormone accelerates ovarian development and does not affect age polyethism in the primitively eusocial wasp, Ropalidia marginata

Juvenile hormone modulates post-imaginal reproductive division of labor in primitively eusocial species and promotes the production of queens (e.g., Polistes) while it modulates age polyethism and promotes the production of foragers in highly eusocial species (e.g., the honey bee). Ropalidia marginata is a primitively eusocial wasp that shows both post-imaginal regulation of reproductive division of labor as well as age polyethism. Hence, R. marginata is a particularly interesting model system to study the effect of juvenile hormone. We demonstrate here that a single, topical application of 100 µg of juvenile hormone-III per female wasp accelerates ovarian development of wasps held in isolation. Similar application to wasps released back on to their natal nests has no effect on their rate of behavioral development as witnessed from the age of first performance of feed larva, build, bring pulp and bring food. We conclude therefore that in R.marginata, juvenile hormone has retained its function of modulating reproductive division of labor and has not acquired the function of modulating age polyethism

Geographic and chronographic variations of coloration in population of Polistes gallicus (Linnaeus, 1767) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)

The article presents the results of studying geographic and chronographic colour variability of paper wasp Polistes gallicus (Linnaeus, 1767) in Kherson Area of Ukraine in 2004-2005. Colour and pattern variations on clypeus (6), mesonotum (3), the first tergite of abdomen (4) and the second tergite of abdomen (3) were investigated for 1839 wasps (queens and future foundresses). Colour and pattern variations on clypeus and mesonotum of 255 queens collected in May-June 2005 in three places of the Kherson Area (The Black Sea Reserve, Kherson and Khorly) didn’t differ, but colour variations on the first tergite of abdomen were significantly different in those three sites under study. Variability being of a clinal character, this allowed making a conclusion that the wasps of these three sites belonged to one and the same population. A comparison of colour variation frequencies for the Black Sea reserve subpopulation throughout 2004-2005 revealed similarity in clypeus and the first tergite of abdomen and significant differences for queens’ and future foundresses’ mesonotum. A change in colour variation of the population was expressed more significantly in 2004 and had cyclic character. The subpopulation as a whole maintained its stability in those characteristics. A possibility of such variability as a result of some selection factors is discussed

\u3ci\u3ePolistes Dominula\u3c/i\u3e (Christ) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) Recorded from Nebraska

Polistes dominula (Christ), a Palearctic paper wasp that has established in various areas of North America, is reported for the first time from the state of Nebraska based on specimens from the city of Lincoln. Potential implications of its presence in Nebraska are discussed

Polistes dominula (Christ, 1791) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) found in South Dakota, U.S.A.

Polistes dominula (Christ, 1791) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae), a Palearctic paper wasp established in North America, is reported for the first time from the state of South Dakota, U.S.A