Morphological and glandular changes associated th the age polyethism of Polybia paulista (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) / Mudanças morfológicas e glandulares associadas ao polietismo etário em Polybia paulista (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2010

RESUMO

The division of labor is a central theme in the study of social insects. In bees and wasps this ability is regulated for age castes of the workers. In Apis mellifera, several authors have shown selective activation of the glands for job in colony, and reduced body weight for foraging. In social wasps age polyethism among workers is a relatively unexplored subject. We tried to identify and to describe in Polybia paulista if the bodily and glandular changes are related to the age of the wasps or to the use of the structures in the social function. Workers of different ages at which was restricted social behavior since its emergence and workers of different ages with full social development were analyzed. When Polybia paulista was in captivity, increased body mass, decreased the mass of mesosoma and decreased the salivary and mandibular glands secretion in relation to the age advancement of the wasps. While, allowing normal social development, there was an increase in body mass, the mass of the mesosoma and the salivary and mandibular glands secretion in relation to age. Apparently, social interaction activates the formation and transition of age castes in Polybia paulista. In these wasps the bodily and glandular changes observed were related to age. Probably social interaction and the use of structures within the nest are influencing the direction of such changes. As consequence, factors that influence the demography of the colony, as the development stage or the welfare of the colony, may be decisive in the age castes regulation. These results contrast with the model proposed for the Apis mellifera age polyethism and with observations of glandular activity in the social wasp Polistes versicolor.

ASSUNTO(S)

polietismo etário glândula mandibular body weight dry weight of the mesosoma. vespidae peso seco do mesosoma peso corporal vespidae glândula salivar salivary gland age polyethism mandibular gland

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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