Flexible foraging decisions made by workers of the social wasp Vespula germanica (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in response to different resources: influence of ontogenetic shifts and colony feedback  

作　　者：Analía Mattiacci MaitéMasciocchi Juan C.Corley 

机构地区：[1]Grupo de Ecología de Poblaciones de Insectos,IFAB(CONICET,INTA EEA Bariloche),Bariloche,Argentina [2]Departamento de Ecología,Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche,Universidad Nacional Del Comahue,Bariloche,Argentina

出　　处：《Insect Science》2022年第2期581-594,共14页昆虫科学（英文版）

基　　金：support from the Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche(IFAB);This study was financed by project BID PICT 2015-1150 provided by the "Agencia Nacional de Promocion Cientifica y Tecno-logica"(Argentina),project PUE 00692018-IFAB and project B215 from the Universidad Nacional del Comahue,Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche.

摘　　要：Decisions made by foraging animals conform a complex process based on the integration of information from multiple external environmental stimuli and internal physiological signals,which in turn are modulated by individual experience and a detection threshold of each individual.For social insects in which foraging is limited to given age subcastes,individual foraging decisions may also be affected by ontogenetic shifts and colony requirements.We studied the short-term changes in foraging preferences of the generalist wasp Vespula germanica,focusing on whether the individual response to different resources could be influenced by the ontogenetic shifts and/or by social interaction with nestmates.We carried both laboratory and field experiments to confront worker wasps to a short-term resource switch between either protein or carbohydrate-based foods.We tested the response of(1)Preforager workers(no foraging experience nor interaction with other wasps),(2)Forager workers(experience in foraging and no colony feedback),and(3)Wild forager workers(foraging naturally and exposed to free interactions with nestmates).We evaluated the maxilla-labium extension response(MaLER)for laboratory assays or the landing response for field assays.We observed that for wasps deprived of colony feedback(either preforagers or foragers),the protein-rich foods acceptance threshold increased(and thus a lower level of foraging on that item was observed)if they had foraged on carbohydrates previously,whereas carbohydrates were accepted in all assays.However,wasps immersed in a natural foraging context did accept protein foods regardless of their first foraging experience and reduced the carbohydrates collected when trained on protein foods.We provide evidence that short-term changes in foraging preferences depend on the type of resource foraged and on the social interactions,but not on ontogenetic shifts.

关 键 词：German wasp invasive species plastic insect behavior response thresholds modulation social insect yellowjackets 

分 类 号：Q96[生物学—昆虫学]