Nesting Habit and Alarm Pheromones in Polistes gallicus (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)

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• 作者：C. Bruschini ; R. Cervo and S. Turillazzi
• 关键词：Paper wasp ; Polistes ; venom ; alarm pheromones ; nesting habit ; defence
• 刊名：Journal of Insect Behavior
• 出版年：2008
• 出版时间：May, 2008
• 年：2008
• 卷：21
• 期：3
• 页码：123-129
• 全文大小：134.9 KB

文摘

Alarm pheromones are used in many social insects to elicit an alarm response of nestmates towards disturbances. This chemical alarm channel is especially used by species nesting in closed environments. Polistes gallicus paper wasps typically found their nests on open substrates where visual and vibrational stimuli could be more important than the chemical one to alarm the colony. We investigated, through field bioassays, if, also in this species, workers venom is still the source of alarm pheromones. Our results show that venom volatiles are able to increase the colony defence reaction stimulating more individuals to attack and sting the object of disturbance. Therefore our results suggest the hypothesis that chemical alarm is independent of nesting habit (concealed vs exposed) within the Polistes genus.