Search

Social aggression is a pervasive feature of insect societies. In eusocial Hymenoptera, aggression among females can affect task performance and competition over direct reproduction (egg laying); in most species males participate in social interactions relatively rarely. Males of the independent-founding paper wasp Mischocyttarus mastigophorus are exceptional: they are aggressive toward female nestmates, leading us to explore the function of this unusual behavior. We applied social network analyses to data on M. mastigophorus social aggression to quantify sex differences in giving and receiving social aggression. The network analyses supported the pattern of biased male aggression toward female nestmates; females are relatively rarely aggressive to males. We then asked whether male aggression toward females was biased by females’ relative ovary development. Males were more aggressive toward females with better-developed ovaries, opposite to patterns of aggression among females. Because food brought to the colonies is often monopolized by dominant females, we suggest that males direct aggression toward socially dominant females with better-developed ovaries to obtain food. The implications of biased male aggression for female task performance and physiology are unknown.

Reproductive conflicts are expected in societies where nonbreeding helpers retain the ability to produce offspring. Despite potential competition from reproductively capable nestmates in social wasps, egg laying tends to be monopolised by a single or relatively few queens. Genetic studies on reproductive partitioning in Polistes paper wasps suggest high reproductive skew in the genus. Conflict is thought to be minimal due to nestmate relatedness or the possibility of inheriting a reproductive monopoly on a nest; consequently, there are inclusive fitness opportunities for nonreproductive helpers. However, most studies are limited to temperate wasp species. Given the cosmopolitan distribution of Polistes, genetic data on group conflicts are required for a broader range of tropical species to determine whether these trends apply across climatic zones. We examined female reproductive skew in the Neotropical paper wasp Polistes lanio, genotyping a selection of adults and pupae from established post-emergence nests using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). SNP-based pedigree analyses indicate a reproductive monopoly held by a single queen, with queen replacement from natal nestmates and evidence of possible multiple mating. Relatedness between pupal offspring was high (r = 0.71). It is likely that high reproductive skew among females is a founding trait of Polistes societies, conserved among species that have spread into new environments from Indomalayan origins.

Whether the caste fate of social insects is determined before or after emergence is a key question for understanding the evolution of eusociality. Paper wasps are a suitable model for answering this question because there are no critical morphological differences between queens and workers in paper wasps, and these animals appear to represent an early stage of eusociality. We explored the above question by determining the effects of photoperiod during the adult stage on caste-fate determination in the paper wasp Polistes jokahamae. We collected colonies at different stages in the field and exposed emerging adults individually to long or short days. Under these isolated conditions, gyne-destined (diapausing) females were expected to exhibit large lipid stores without mature eggs, while the reverse was expected to be true for worker-destined (nondiapausing) females. The proportion of wasps with mature eggs was higher under long days in the second and subsequent broods, but not in the first brood. Lipid stores were larger among large females and under short days, and smaller for the first brood. These findings together suggest that the first brood emerges with a strong preimaginal bias toward workers (nondiapausing form), whereas the other broods emerge with no bias or an easily reversible bias. However, it is difficult to conclude whether the bias came from body size or the season of emergence. We discuss the possibility that the ancestor of paper wasps had workers with and without preimaginal bias toward becoming workers at emergence.

Eusocial species live in colonies with a reproductive division of labour into fertile reproductive castes and sterile non-reproductive castes, an overlap of generations and cooperative brood care. A further distinction can be usefully made between primitively eusocial species which do not have morphological caste differentiation and highly eusocial species which do. Ropalidia marginata is a tropical primitively eusocial wasp that has been extensively studied, especially compared to other tropical social wasps. R. marginata has several distinct traits, such as a docile queen, well-developed age polyethism, and decentralized work regulation, which makes it different from other primitively eusocial wasps and reminiscent of highly eusocial species. since tropical wasps, especially those belonging to the genus Ropalidia have been poorly studied, we cannot be sure whether R. marginata is unique or its traits are more common among tropical Ropalidia species. to begin to overcome this problem, we have extended our research to the congeneric and sympatric Ropalidia cyathiformis. Here, we compare and contrast what we now know about these two species, especially concerning their reproductive and non-reproductive division of labour. We find that R. cyathiformis, unlike R. marginata, has a behaviourally dominant queen, weak and rigid age polyethism, likely uses behavioural dominance to regulate worker reproduction and individual workers self-regulate their own non-reproductive activities. We, therefore, conclude that R. marginata is indeed unique and argue that R. marginata is intermediate between primitively and highly eusocial wasps.

Potter wasps (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae) adopt different substrates for nesting, including other wasp nests. Nevertheless, such behavior rarely occurs with abandoned nests of the paper wasps (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae). In this study, we report the occurrence involving the nesting of a potter wasp on a paper wasp’s nest. Such a record occurred in November 2021 in a segment of a deciduous forest, at Mata Seca State Park, Southeast Brazil. An abandoned Polistinae nest was found, with 14 cells sealed with mud, from which four male Pachodynerus nasidens individuals emerged. This record of P. nasidens reusing a Polistinae’s nest increases our knowledge of Eumeninae nesting strategies and on possible associations between different groups of vespid wasps.

Scientific research has become increasingly collaborative. We systematically reviewed invasion science literature published between 1980 and 2020 and catalogued in Clarivate Analytics Web of Science to examine patterns of authorship and the relationship between co-authorship and annual citation rates. This study analysed 27,234 publications across 1,218 journals and demonstrated that, as the number of publications in invasion science has exponentially increased, the number of authors publishing per year and the average number of authors per paper have also increased. The rising number of authors per paper coincides with a marked decline of single-authored publications; approximately 92% of publications in this dataset were multi-authored, with single-authored papers comprising less than 4% of all papers published in 2020. The increase in multi-authored papers is likely driven by multiple factors, including the widespread perception that collaboration increases scientific quality. The number of authors is positively correlated with perceived research impact; papers with two or more authors produce research that is more frequently cited compared to single-authored papers, and papers with five or more authors have annual citation rates almost double that of single-authored papers. The complexity, context-dependence and urgency of biological invasions contributed to the rise of the highly collaborative field of modern invasion science.

Antheraea mylitta Drury (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) is a tropical semi-domesticated wild tasar silkworm reared by marginal tribal farmers of India. Due to improper egg laying frequency, oviposition is generally kept for three continuous days after amputating the gravid moth wings (W–) in earthen cups (C). In order to systematize the oviposition frequency, wing cut with leg cut (W–L–) was performed in ecorace Daba trivoltine (DTV) completing three life-cycles in a year. Oviposition of (C)W–L– was observed in all three grainages during the year 2020 and compared with (C)W– moths. Oviposition was also accomplished on plain paper sheets (S). It is observed that (C)W– obtained 63–67% and (C)W–L– obtained 72–80% egg laying on first day. Similarly, (S)W– and (S)W–L– obtained 68–71% and 74–83% on first day. Further, significant high oviposition was observed within first four hours in both earthen cups and on paper sheets by W–L– moths laying 49–69% and 55–65% eggs compared to W– laying 25–45% and 39–44% eggs, respectively. A total of 44–51, 47–54, 44–48 and 46–52 eggs/g moth weight was obtained in (C)W–, (C)W–L–, (S)W– and (S)W–L–, respectively in three consecutive grainage. Oviposition of W– moths in earthen cups and on paper sheets are not significantly different indicating earthen cups in contemporary tasar grainage could be replaced with paper sheets. Thus, the paper demonstrates for the first time a fast, efficient and scalable cellular oviposition of A. mylitta on paper sheets comparable to Bombyx mori.

Paper wasps are widely distributed in Europe. They live in the warm Mediterranean, and in the harsh Alpine climate. Some species are very careful in their choice of nesting sites to ensure a proper development of the brood. We investigated microclimate conditions at the nests of three species (P. dominula, P. gallicus, P. biglumis) from differing climates, in order to characterize environmental conditions and conduct energetic calculations for an entire breeding season. The mean ambient nest temperature differed significantly in the Mediterranean, temperate, and Alpine habitats, but in all habitats it was about 2 to 3 °C above the standard meteorological data. The energetic calculations of adult wasps’ standard and active metabolic rate, based on respiratory measurements, differed significantly, depending on the measured ambient temperatures or the wasps’ body temperatures. P. gallicus from the warm Mediterranean climate exhibited the highest energetic costs, whereas P. biglumis from the harsh Alpine climate had the lowest costs. Energetic costs of P. dominula from the temperate climate were somewhat lower than those in the Mediterranean species, but clearly higher than those in the Alpine species. Temperature increase due to climate change may have a severe impact on the wasps’ survival as energetic costs increase.

The bacterium Bacillus megaterium can be used to biologically control sheath blight and grain discoloration in rice. Large-scale inoculations using liquid cultures are cumbersome so the efficacy of an alternative, paper-based system was examined. Bacterial endospores were embedded on filter papers and multiplied using a simple culture technique. The resulting suspension was used to pre-soak yardlong bean and cucumber seeds before sowing to assess its effect on seed germination and weight. The efficacy of the bacterium in protecting cucumber seeds from pre-emergent damping-off was also examined. The population of bacteria embedded in paper declined initially but remained stable for 150 days at room temperature. Bacterial culture reduced seed germination of cucumber and seedling weight of yardlong beans. Dilution with water either increased or reduced germination of cucumber seeds depending on concentration. A 1:10 v/v dilution increased cucumber-seed germination in a pre-emergent damping-off pot test but all seedlings later died, irrespective of treatment. Paper-based inoculum has the potential to replace liquid inoculum but further work is required to optimise the concentrations of the bacterial culture to achieve disease control without adversely affecting the host plant.

The 1st International Electronic Conference on Entomology (1IECE) was held between 1 and 15 July 2021 on the MDPI Sciforum platform organized and funded by the international journal Insects [...]

Aleuroclava jasmini (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a major insect pest of paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) in Iran, negatively affecting its production. Considering the importance of oils in t...

Refurbishing the old nest in order to prepare it for a new breeding season cycle has already been observed in few species of paper wasps. When future foundresses emerge from hibernacula they have choose between building a new nest or reusing an old one. In present paper I described a case of multiple use and further expansion an old nest by Polistes dominula (Christ, 1791) in Grodzisk Mazowiecki, Mazovia Region, Central Poland.

The recent critical revision of the order Skleroptera by Beutel et al. (2018a) is considered. We show several defects in their interpretation, contradicted by the original descriptions and diagnosis (Nel et al., 2013; Kirejtshuk & Nel, 2013). The main arguments of the initial interpretation of Stephanastus polinae Kirejtshuk et Nel, 2013 (Stephanastidae) and reasons for the proposal of the order Skleroptera (Kirejtshuk & Nel, 2013) are mentioned, together with reasons to reject the proposal of Beutel et al. (2018a, b). A comparison of Skleroptera with other neopteran orders is made. Lastly the problem of the position of Umenocoleus as a member of Coleopterida versus a roachoid is discussed, the first hypothesis being supported by synapomorphies which is not the case for the second.

We investigated associative learning of food odors by the European paper wasp Polistes dominula Christ (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) because of consistent low rates of attraction to food materials in laboratory assays. We hypothesized that wasps in nature exhibit nonspecific food-finding behavior until locating a suitable food, and then respond more strongly and specifically to odors associated with that food reward. Female P. dominula workers exhibited higher rates of attraction in a flight tunnel to piped odors of fermented fruit purees following previous experience with that puree, compared to wasps with no prior experience with the fermented fruits. Attraction behavior included upwind-oriented flight and casting within the odor plume, indicative of chemoanemotaxis. Synthetic chemicals representative of volatiles P. dominula may encounter in nature while foraging was also tested. Similar increases in attraction responses occurred following feeding experience with a sugar solution that included either 3-methyl-1-butanol or pear ester, but not eugenol. These experimental results support the hypothesis of associative learning of food odors in P. dominula. We discuss the ecological relevance of our results and suggest an alternative approach to trap paper wasps in pest situations utilizing learned chemical attractants.

Workers and gynes (potential queens for the next spring) of temperate paper wasps are distinguishable based on their lipid stores a few weeks after emergence. However, it was not known whether the lipid stores of worker- and gyne-destined females differ at emergence. Newly emerged females of Polistes jokahamae were divided into three categories: the first brood, comprising worker-destined individuals that are nursed only by the queen; the second brood, comprising worker- and gyne-destined individuals that are nursed by the queen and workers and emerge before male emergence; and the third brood, comprising gyne-destined individuals that emerge after the emergence of the first males. The first brood produced smaller and lighter adults with lower lipid stores. These lipid stores were lower even after adjusting for head width, which suggests the presence of a preimaginal bias toward worker caste; such a bias was not detected in the second brood. After adjusting for head width, lipid stores increased with the wet mass in the second and third broods but not in the first brood, suggesting that the component proportion of lipid stores increased but that of some other nutrients decreased with increasing wet mass in the first brood. In addition, the head width, wet mass, and lipid stores (including lipid stores divided by the head width cubed) in the first brood increased with the emergence order, whereas the fatness (wet mass divided by the head width cubed) did not.

Ropalidia amabalasp. nov. is described and compared to the known African species of this genus. In addition, the nest and nesting habits are described. This species demonstrates the nesting pattern previously recorded only in Madagascar, which includes nesting directly on a tree trunk and using lichen as the nest-building source material to blend in with the surrounding lichen patches. In contrast to the Malagasy species, which clean the nesting area of lichen, this new South African species constructs the nest in a clear area of the trunk between patches of lichen. This provides excellent visual concealment of the nest and suggests that visually driven predators are the primary selective factor. The morphology for both sexes of this species disagrees with known Malagasy species, suggesting that they are separate evolutionary lineages and hence that this nesting behaviour evolved independently.

Two species of entomogenous fungi were discovered infecting the invasive paper wasp Polistes chinensis during an ecological study on Farewell Spit, New Zealand. We sequenced two nuclear ribosomal RDNA genes, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the small ribosomal subunit 18S, and one protein-coding gene, the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (ef1 α). Combining sequence information with morphological examination, we identified these species as Beauveria malawiensis and Ophiocordyceps humbertii. We estimated that these fungi produce infection in approximately 3.3% of colonies in our study population. In bioassays, we successfully infected P. chinensis individuals from healthy colonies with B. malawiensis, with significant effects on adult mortality. This is the first record of both B. malawiensis and O. humbertii from Polistine hosts in New Zealand, and the first investigation into disease causality by these pathogens in P. chinensis. Our findings may contribute to the future development of biological control agents for paper wasps in New Zealand and elsewhere around the world.

Taxonomy of the paper wasps of the subgenus Gyrostoma of the polistine genusPolistesfrom Vietnam is treated, with a key to all the five species occurring in Vietnam, including one described herein as new to science under the namePolistes longussp. nov.Nests ofP. gigasandP. longussp. nov.are also described.

In recent years, a number of studies have suggested that visual status signaling operates in social wasps. In the paper wasp Polistes dominula, status is thought to be signaled by a region of black pigmentation on the yellow clypeus. Specifically, studies of the invasive North American population have indicated that the clypeal patterning of P. dominula females conveys information on their agonistic abilities in various natural contexts such as dominance within the nest and competitive interactions. However, studies of native European populations have, so far, failed in demonstrating such a function of the clypeal patterning. The present work investigated the status signaling in an Italian population of this species, eliminating any chemical and behavioral factors of the signaler and controlling for signaler size, therefore, focusing on visual stimulus alone. Using tightly controlled laboratory settings, we performed two bioassays representing two distinct natural contexts: a competitive interaction over food resources and a nest defense scenario. To this end: (1) we offered to future foundresses food patches guarded by two odorless conspecific lures differing only in visual facial cues and (2) we presented odorless wasp lures with a different clypeal patterning to solitary foundresses defending their own nest. We found no evidence for any role of the clypeal patterning in the rival assessment in both contexts. Hence, we conclude that P. dominula foundresses belonging to the Italian population lack visual status signaling on their clypeus. Further studies will elucidate factors and mechanisms underlying the geographical variation and evolution of visual signals in paper wasps.

The domiciliary presence of Triatoma infestans (Klug) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) after control interventions was reported in recent years. Toxicological studies showed high levels of resistance to pyrethroids suggesting resistance as one of the main causes of deficient control. The aim of the present study was to develop a protocol to test resistance to deltamethrin in T. infestans collected from the field by discriminate concentration. To evaluate field insects, the effect of age (early vs. later) and nutritional state (starved vs. fed) on the deltamethrin susceptibility of each developmental stage was studied. Topical and insecticide impregnated paper bioassays were used. Using the impregnated paper, the susceptibility to deltamethrin was not affected by the age of the stadium and the nutritional states, and varied with the post-exposure time and with the different developmental stages. A discriminant concentration of deltamethrin (0.36% w/v) impregnated in filter paper was established for all developmental stages. Finally, the methodology and the discriminant concentration were evaluated in the laboratory showing high sensitivity in the discrimination of resistance. The present study developed a methodology of exposure to insecticide impregnated papers and proposes a protocol to test T. infestans in field populations with the aim to detect early evolution of resistance to deltamethrin.

The wastes from the Baikalsk pulp and paper plant, including the by-products of the plant’s bleaching unit are stored in the special disposal reservoirs in the form of a sludge-lignin, which consists of lignin, polyacrylamide and flocculants. Here, we report on microbiological composition of sludge-lignin: we detected fungi hyphae, actinomycete hyphae, long and short rods as well as coccal forms of bacteria. Interestingly, despite the diversity of bacterial, cyanobacterial and fungal communities no noticeable destruction of lignin was observed. We recommend to use specific chemical compounds and microbiological agents for destruction of sludge-lignin.

Nestmate discrimination in the paper wasp, Polistes metricus Say (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) was examined during each stage (nesting and non-nesting phases) of the colony cycle. Resident wasps of each caste were paired with nestmates or non-nestmates of the same caste in a clear plastic box near the nest in the field and all aggressive and non-aggressive behavioral interactions initiated by the resident wasps were noted. Each wasp caste, particularly the resident foundress, workers, and males exhibited a significantly high proportion of aggressive behaviors towards non-nestmates than towards nestmates, thus demonstrating nestmate discrimination. However, the response of resident fall gynes towards nestmates and non-nestmates was not significantly different. During winter, gynes of P. metricus and P. fuscatus Fabricius were found to overwinter together in the same clusters. The overwintering gynes of P. metricus showed complete tolerance towards conspecifics (non-nestmates) and allospecifics (P. fuscatus). These findings suggest that the acceptance threshold of P. metricus shifts from being restrictive towards the beginning of the nesting phase to being permissive towards the end, which differs from previous studies on P. fuscatus, whose acceptance threshold was more restrictive during the reproductive phase than during the worker phase. However, during the non-nesting (overwintering) phase of the colony cycle, the acceptance threshold likely becomes even more permissive to an “accept-all” level in both species. These shifts in acceptance threshold follow the predictions of Reeve's (1989) conspecific acceptance threshold model, and most likely reflect the cost-benefit ratio assessment of wasps to minimize negative inclusive fitness consequences at each stage of the colony cycle.

When helpers from cooperative breeding animals have some expectation of direct reproduction, there is potential for conflict over how much aid they should provide to the colony. For example, if food is shared among all colony members, then higher levels of foraging by a helper would be desirable for the colony as a whole. However, because foraging is risky and physiologically costly, hopeful reproductive helpers could avoid foraging. Evidence suggests that this work-conflict could be resolved if helpers are aggressively coerced by their nestmates to provide aid. Here, we showed that in the primitively eusocial paper wasp Polistes versicolor, colony food starvation leads to an increasing in aggression that results in an increasing activity level (including foraging). We propose that aggression affects forage levels because (i) attacks from nestmates are directed toward known foragers rather than non-foragers; and (ii) resting wasps generally respond to aggression by becoming more active while already active wasps generally respond by switching the task they were doing. In P. versicolor, direct reproduction is an option for helpers. It means that they can be considered as hopeful reproductive individuals seeking to avoid performing risky behaviours, like foraging. In this sense, decentralized aggression from nestmates could be a coercive mechanism to force wasps performing undesirable tasks, while simultaneously enhancing the performance of a variety of other tasks.

Spatial behaviour of colony members within a nest represents an essential aspect of colony organization. However, little attention has been devoted to the study of this aspect in social insects. A recent study based on a single day of observation showed that colony members of the paper wasp Polistes dominula were spatially arranged on the comb in a predictable way. Alpha females patrolled a small central area of the comb, while subordinates and workers were mostly active in the nest periphery. The present study investigated the existence of a spatial–temporal polyethism in P. dominula by studying whether workers and foundresses change their within-nest spatial behaviour over their lifespan. The results showed that while the age of a worker weakly influenced the probability that she performed a within-nest task or foraged outside, it did not account for any aspect of the wasp’s within-nest spatial behaviour. Precisely, the size of the patrolled area, the position on the comb, and the rate of superimposition with other nestmates were all not related to the age of the wasp. Moreover, no evident spatial segregation between young and old individuals occurred on the comb. These findings suggest that other proximate mechanisms underlie the observed colony spatial organization. As the reproductive division of labour was the only factor affecting wasp spatial sorting within the nest, dominance hierarchy and social interactions between and within foundress and workers represent good candidates responsible for the colony’s spatial organization.

Sex-biased dispersal is common in social species, but the dispersing sex may delay emigration if associated benefits are not immediately attainable. In the social Hymenoptera (ants, some bees and wasps), newly emerged males typically disperse from the natal nest whilst most females remain as philopatric helpers. However, little information exists on the mechanisms regulating male dispersal. Furthermore, the conservation of such mechanisms across the Hymenoptera and any role of sexual maturation are also relatively unknown. Through field observations and mark–recapture, we observed that males of the social paper wasp Polistes lanio emerge from pupation sexually immature, and delay dispersal from their natal nest for up to 7 days whilst undergoing sexual maturation. Delayed dispersal may benefit males by allowing them to mature in the safety of the nest and thus be more competitive in mating. We also demonstrate that both male dispersal and maturation are associated with juvenile hormone (JH), a key regulator of insect reproductive physiology and behaviour, which also has derived functions regulating social organisation in female Hymenoptera. Males treated with methoprene (a JH analogue) dispersed earlier and possessed significantly larger accessory glands than their age-matched controls. These results highlight the wide role of JH in social hymenopteran behaviour, with parallel ancestral functions in males and females, and raise new questions on the nature of selection for sex-biased dispersal.

The behaviors performed on the nest by the foundress queen and workers of the paper wasp Polistes jokahamae were observed in three colonies in the field and one colony in a cage set in the field. Each queen was rarely ranked top in the dominance hierarchy determined by the pairwise dominance–subordinate interactions and did not display more frequent direct aggression toward the top-ranked worker than toward other workers. Furthermore, the queen exhibited aggression less frequently than did the most aggressive workers in all four colonies. The dominance order among the workers was positively correlated with the emergence order, with older workers being more dominant. The queen laid eggs in a dominant or monopolized way; some dominant workers laid eggs in three colonies. These observations suggest that the queen maintained her queen status, including her reproductive priority, using signals rather than aggression. Lateral vibrations (rapidly laterally vibrating the abdomen) and abdominal rubbing (rubbing the abdomen onto the comb) appeared to be candidate signals of the fertility or reproductive potential of the performer. Lateral vibrations were performed only by the queen, and their frequency was positively correlated with the frequency of ovipositing. The queen and some dominant workers performed abdominal rubbing; the frequency was higher for the queen than for any of the dominant workers early in the colony’s development, but not later. Although performers of abdominal rubbing were more likely to lay eggs than non-performers, the frequency of abdominal rubbing was not a predictor of the frequency of ovipositing.

Tick-borne diseases are a public health issue. To predict vector tick abundance and activity, it is necessary to understand the driving factors for these variables. In this study, the activity ofIxodes ricinuswas investigated in forest and meadow habitats in Germany with a focus on abiotic factors.Ixodes ricinusadults, nymphs and larvae were caught by flagging over a period of 2 years. Microclimatic and weather conditions were recorded at the collection sites. Statistical models were applied to describe correlations between abiotic factors and tick activity in univariable and multivariable analyses. Tick activity was observed in a broad range of air temperature between 3 and 28 °C, and air humidity varied between 35 and 95%. In general, tick activity of nymphs and larvae was higher in forest habitats than that in meadows. With the exception of a single specimen ofDermacentor reticulatus, all ticks wereIxodes ricinus, most of them nymphs (63.2% in 2009 and 75.2% in 2010). For the latter, a negative binomial mixed-effects model fitted best to the observed parameters. The modelling results showed an activity optimum between 20 and 23 °C for air temperature and between 13 and 15 °C for ground temperature. In univariable analyses, the collection site, month, season, ground and air temperature were significant factors for the number of ticks caught and for all life stages. In the multivariable analysis, temperature, season and habitat turned out to be key drivers.Ixodes ricinuspositive for RNA of tick-borne encephalitis virus was only found at a single sampling site. The results of this study can be used in risk assessments and to parameterise predictive models.

Adam Hardy, winner of the 2020 Journal of Experimental Biology Outstanding Paper Prize. With the Covid-19 pandemic continuing to rage, labs closed and field seasons cancelled, many early-career researchers need the community's support more than ever. Journal of Experimental Biology has a history of

The 00ZZZero® trap (0Z) is a small black plastic container with permethrin and pyriproxyfen, designed and marketed to both attract and kill gravid Aedes mosquitoes (unmodified trap ([UMT] or modified trap [MT]). The 0Z trap without the insecticide was modified with addition of a sticky paper, coated with an adhesive glue (MT) and evaluated for collection efficacy of released gravid mosquito, Aedes aegypti (L.) in outdoor screened enclosures in St. Augustine, in northeastern Florida. The mean numbers (±SE) of mosquitoes caught by MTs were 130.67 ± 23.95 (40.22 ± 5.78 mosquito/trap), compared with 2.33 ± 0.88 (0.79 ± 0.29 mosquito/trap) mosquitoes caught by UMTs. The MTs collected significantly more mosquitoes, 44.16% (F = 4.495, P < 0.05) of the released mosquitoes, than those captured in UMTs (0.83%). The number of immature mosquitoes (larvae and pupae) hatched from eggs laid in the MTs and UMTs were 79.3 ± 23.1 and 19.3 ± 6.8, respectively. The mean numbers (±SE) of adults emerging in MTs and UMTs were 34.0 ± 22.3 and 14.0 ± 6.8, respectively. These results show the potential of the sticky paper modified 0Z traps to be used both to increase the efficacy of collection and as a sticky autocidal tool against gravid Ae. aegypti.

Simple Summary The European paper wasp, Polistes dominula Christ (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), has become an invasive species across the globe. This wasp can reach high population densities and this, combined with its predatory nature, makes this insect a potential threat to biodiversity. There has been a lot of research conducted on this species throughout the northern hemisphere; however, little is known about their distribution in the southern hemisphere. Our objective was to identify where, in the southern hemisphere, P. dominula could become established. Two species distribution modelling approaches were used to make these predictions. Based on these models, there are large areas across southern South America, South Africa, southern Australia, and much of New Zealand that are likely to be at risk of further invasion by this species. These findings can be used to inform biosecurity measures in regions deemed at risk of invasion by this globally important pest. Abstract Species distribution models (SDMs) are tools used by ecologists to help predict the spread of invasive species. Information provided by these models can help direct conservation and biosecurity efforts by highlighting areas likely to contain species of interest. In this study, two models were created to investigate the potential range expansion of Polistes dominula Christ (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in the southern hemisphere. This palearctic species has spread to invade North and South America, South Africa, Australia, and more recently New Zealand. Using the BIOCLIM and MAXENT modelling methods, regions that were suitable for P. dominula were identified based on climate data across four regions in the southern hemisphere. In South America areas of central Chile, eastern Argentina, parts of Uruguay, and southern Brazil were identified as climatically suitable for the establishment of P. dominula. Similarly, southern parts of South Africa and Australia were identified by the model to be suitable as well as much of the North Island and east of the South Island of New Zealand. Based on outputs from both models, significant range expansion by P. dominula is possible across its more southern invaded ranges.

In the temperate paper wasp Polistes jokahamae, caste is influenced by photoperiod during the adult stage, but the mechanisms underlying the caste-fate determination system have been unclear. We measured the brain levels of monoamines and related substances in females kept isolated for two weeks under different photoperiods. Except for in the first-emerging group, the females developed ovaries under long-day conditions, whereas they stored lipids under short-day conditions. The levels of tyramine in the brain were significantly higher under long-day than under short-day conditions and positively correlated with maximum oocyte lengths. These results suggest that tyramine was produced in response to long daylength during the adult stage and associated with ovarian development, which is the principal characteristic of reproductive workers. There was also a significant positive correlation between dopamine levels in the brain and maximum oocyte length, independent of photoperiod, suggesting that dopamine is involved in reproductive function with tyramine resulting in the induction of reproductive workers. Meanwhile, higher levels of tryptophan in the brain were found in short-day conditions and positively correlated with lipid stores. However, serotonin synthesized from tryptophan and N-acetylserotonin were not associated with lipid stores without photoperiodic responses, suggesting that tryptophan is involved in the physiological changes toward gyne under short daylength, independently of serotonin signaling. In conclusion, tyramine and tryptophan are candidates for mediating photoperiod-dependent caste-fate determination in P. jokahamae: the former is involved in generating the worker caste while the latter is involved in generating the gyne caste.

The aim of this study was to identify the nest materials, some physical characteristics and the essential composition of the nest of Vespa crabro germanaChrist, 1791. Nest surfaces were observed with a stereomicroscope and a scanning electron microscope. In the inner surface of the V. c. germana nest, the medium thicknesses of the fibers in the envelope and comb varied between 5.30 and 11.90 µm with an average of 9.07 µm. In the outer surface of the nest, the medium thicknesses of the fibers in the envelope and comb were between 4.46 and 11.40 µm with an average of 7.68 µm. The nitrogen and protein concentration of the nest was 0.22 and 1.40%, respectively. The percentages of the fibers, saliva, oil and the water absorption capacity were calculated as 70-75, 25-30, 16-20 and 120-150, respectively. The amount of the elements nickel and copper in the nest was found to be 0.6 and 1.2 ppm, respectively. The major components of the nest were plant fibers, saliva and oil. Consequently, we have found that the ratios and the amounts of physical characteristics, the element composition and the fibers in the envelope and comb of the nest changed with environmental conditions.

This study provides the first molecular phylogeny of the social wasp subgenus Polistella (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistes) from Vietnam. Fragments of the mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA genes were used to reconstruct the phylogenetic trees among 38 Polistes species plus two out-group species (Vespa soror du Buysson and Ropalidia fasciata (Fabricius)). Our results support the existence of several species-groups, including two that are congruent with the previous stigma and Stenopolistes groups defined on the basis of morphology. Moreover, we recovered a clade including the stigma group and the two species P. humilis and P. variabilis that was sister to all other species of Polistella. However, the results also challenged the definition of other groups of Polistella based on morphological data, as well as the definition of two species: P. brunus and P. affinis. This first study calls for further analyses including morphological characters to clarify the taxonomy and the classification of the group.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-26T17:55:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-08-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) It has been recently suggested that female mate choice, based on sexually selected ornaments, is an important component of social wasps' reproductive biology. The correlates of male ornaments that could be of a female's interest, however, remain to be investigated. Males of the Neotropical paper wasp Polistes simillimus have sexually dimorphic melanin-based black spots on their faces. In this species, male spots work like sexual ornaments, as it has been experimentally demonstrated that females prefer sexual partners with a higher proportion of black pigment on their faces. We have shown that, under laboratory conditions, male sexual ornamentation positively predicts the strength of the melanization immune response and longevity. Therefore, in P. simillimus, melanin-based facial patterns (ornaments) seem to be honest indicators of male quality. Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Preto, Dept Biol, Sao Paulo, Brazil Univ Fed Vicosa, Dept Entomol, Vicosa, MG, Brazil Univ Turku, Dept Biol, Turku, Finland Univ Turku, Turku Brain & Mind Ctr, Turku, Finland Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias Letras & Ciencias Exatas, Dept Zool & Bot, Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, Brazil Univ Fed Vicosa, Dept Biol Geral, Vicosa, MG, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias Letras & Ciencias Exatas, Dept Zool & Bot, Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, Brazil FAPESP: 2015/05302-0 FAPESP: 2015/25301-9

Vocabulary learning and retention are the two components that are essential in assessing students’ abilities to understand the meaning of words. The study examines students’ attitudes of learning vocabulary and their learning feedback of using a paper dictionary. It also investigates the factors that students favour and dislike when using the resources for vocabulary retention. The method uses to collect the data in the current study is Explanatory Sequential Research Design. Both questionnaires and semi-structured interviews are employed as the instruments in the current study. The study found that students had positive learning attitudes using paper dictionary in learning vocabulary. There was also various learning feedback that was obtained concerning the use of the resource for the learning of vocabulary. In terms of vocabulary retention, students provided different viewpoints in the use paper dictionary to assist them in memorising the definition of a target word. Finally, the study found a few factors that restricted them to use the resources to retain the vocabulary learnt. The study implies that the use of a paper dictionary is still significant as it helped students to enhance their understanding of a particular vocabulary.

The intentional reintroduction and translocation of animals and plants has, over the last few decades, become an integral part of the panoply of conservation tools. In a recent published paper in J. Insect Conserv. (doi: 10.1007/s10841-016-9911-9 ), Khelifa et al. (2016) claimed to have restored the last relict population of Urothemis edwardsii (Selys) in the Mediterranean. Here, I provide evidence that their claims are unwarranted, and that what has occured is a natural process of colonisation by a Critically Endangered population which was confined to a single known site. In addition to several inaccuracies contained in the paper, I will demonstrate that the work was inappropriate and question the adopted methodology that may imperil the type population of U. edwardsii. I urge for the translocation initiative to be discontinued and discuss other safe approaches that may benefit the newly expanding population.

In 2003, 2005, 2011–2012 extensiveness and intensity of mite infestation of Sphexicozela connivens Mahunka, 1970 (Acari: Winterschmidtiidae) of social wasp Polistes dominula (Christ, 1791) pupae and adult sexual generation on colonies not infected and infected by parasitoids Latibulus argiolus (Rossi, 1790) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) and Elasmus schmitti Ruschka, 1920 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) were analyzed. It is shown that under the conditions of the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve (Southern Ukraine) the intensity of mite infestation in P. dominula colonies infected by Elasmus schmitti was lower than that in uninfected wasp colonies or colonies with L. argiolus. A negative correlation between intensity and extensiveness of mite infestation and the number (share) of wasp nest cells containing infected E. schmitti brood was revealed. Mites on the host pupae containing E. schmitti larvae were not recorded. Such correlations were not revealed in case of L. argiolus. Mites live both on host larvae and parasitoid larvae. Laboratory experiments have shown that E. schmitti females, unlike L. argiolus, leave heavily infected by mites wasp nest if they were there by accident. Parasitoids selectivity in regard to mite infestation of wasp host is considered in connection with their biology peculiarities.

In field experiments, an insect was trained to choose one of two visually different figures – A or B – in reference to situation (“situational learning”). Bees and wasps were shown to be able: 1) to choose A and to reject B at one location (place) of presentation of test figures and vice versa at the other location (at a distance of 1–8 m); 2) to choose A and to reject B at C-colored background and vice versa at D-colored background (at constant location). It is the first evidence of bees’ ability to make decisions depending on background color and the first evidence of wasps’ ability to perform situational learning. The described behaviors resemble “conditioned switching”, which is well known in vertebrates. Statistically significant individual differences between conspecifics have been recorded

Made available in DSpace on 2015-10-21T21:22:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-06-01. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-10-22T09:47:39Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 WOS000356451400024.pdf: 297212 bytes, checksum: b1f0cd60049963d5d1195198522ed404 (MD5) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) In many animal species, females are faced with at least 2 reproductive options: independent or cooperative breeding. Some individuals in cooperative groups choose to help in rearing the broods of conspecific females. Through observations of how females of Polistes simillimus Zikan, 1951 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) started new nests in the field, we investigated whether ecological constraints and the geographic variations explain group formation in this species. The founding of nests was studied between 1996 and 2000 in various localities of 2 states of southeastern Brazil. Weekly observations were carried out on 109 pre-worker nests. We kept track of 40 colonies in Minas Gerais State and 69 in Sao Paulo State, each started either by a single female or by an association of females. There was a chance that worker production would become numerically similar in both solitary and associative colonies in both states. An increased number of foundresses did not improve the chance of colony success in Minas Gerais State, but it improved this chance in Sao Paulo State, so that colonies each with 3 or more foundressess were always successful. In colonies in both states, nest cell productivity was higher with a greater number of associated females per nest. Females were able to start building nests alone, being the only reproductive, or 2 or more females could cooperate to found a nest, thus increasing worker production. However, the type of environment chosen to establish the nest (anthropogenic or natural) seemed to influence strongly the choice of the founding strategy. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho, Centro de Estudos Ambientais, Avenida 24A, 1515, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil, CEP 13506-900 Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Bioacústica, Departamento de Zoologia. Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil, CEP 36036-900 Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Departamento de Entomologia. Avenida Peter Henry Rolfs s/n, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, CEP 36571-000 CNPq: 307264/2010-6 CNPq: 310713/2013-7 CNPq: 143246/2011-9

The purpose of this paper is to identify the nest materials, some physical characteristics and the elemental composition of the nest of Dolichovespula saxonica (Fabricius, 1793). The nest surfaces were observed with a stereomicroscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM). In the inner surface of the D. saxonica nest the medium thickness of the fibers in the envelope and comb varied between 7.14 and 26.9 μm, respectively and averaged 16.4 μm. In the outer surface of the nest the medium thickness of the fibers in the envelope and comb were between 3.52 and 5.70 μm, respectively and averaged 4.63 μm. The nitrogen concentration of the nest of D. saxonica was 0.616% and the amount of protein was 3.08%. The percentages of the fibers, saliva, oil and the water absorption capacity were calculated as 67–70%, 23–30%, 12–18% and 110–140%, respectively. However, the amount of the element Cadmium (Cd) in the nest was found to have a value of 0.2 ppm. The major compounds of wasp nests are plant fibers, saliva and oil. However, the concentrations and ratios of the nest material compounds depend on the plant variety, place of origin, and time of harvest as well as on the processing and saliva conditions. The colors of the nest are beige, cream and grey with long dark brown lines. As a result of our study, we have found that the rates and quantities of physical characteristics, elemental composition and the fibers in the envelope and comb of the nest of D. saxonica change with environmental conditions.

Some of our greatest discoveries have come from the minds of young people. The theory of special relativity, the structure of DNA and our current understanding of insect flight were all driven by researchers early in their careers. With the aim of encouraging young scientists embarking on a career