Castes in the neotropical social wasp Leipomeles dorsata (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae): A window for workers achieving a new status in the colony

Made available in DSpace on 2013-08-12T18:44:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-07-01 Made available in DSpace on 2013-09-30T18:44:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-07-01 Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues (vitorsrodrigues@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2014-05-20T14:03:47Z No. of bitstreams: 0 Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-20T14:03:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-07-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Morphometric studies performed in several species of Neotropical social wasps from the tribe Epiponini showed that in some species there are marked differences between castes, while other species present highly distinct castes with differences only in ovarian development. This work analyzed females from six colonies of the social wasp Leipomeles. dorsata (Fabricius) in which queens (egglayers) and workers showed differences in ovarian development and coloration. We propose that wasps with developed ovaries (egglayers) and coloration similar to those of workers are possibly intermediates that obtained the status of queens in the colony. Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias Letras & Ciencias Exatas, Dept Bot & Zool, Lab Vespas Sociais, BR-15054000 Sao Jose de Rio Preto, SP, Brazil USP, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Preto, Dept Biol, BR-14014090 Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil Ohio State Univ, Dept Entomol, Columbus, OH 43210 USA Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias Letras & Ciencias Exatas, Dept Bot & Zool, Lab Vespas Sociais, BR-15054000 Sao Jose de Rio Preto, SP, Brazil FAPESP: 05/00087-2 FAPESP: 07/08633-1