SUGAR AND PROTEIN RESPONSE THRESHOLD ON PRE-FORAGING AND FORAGING WORKERS OF SOCIAL WASP V. GERMANICA

MATTIACCI ANALIA; MASCIOCCHI MAITÉ; CORLEY JUAN CARLOS

Congreso; Animal Behaviour Live: Annual Online Conference; 2020

University of Toronto, York (UK) and Queen Mary University of London (UK)

Division of labor among workers is considered to be a major reason behind the ecological success of eusocial insects. Age polyethism is the most common mechanism, by which workers switch tasks according to their age. Thus, duties inside the nest such as nursing or ventilating are performed during the first days of life while outside duties such as guarding, and foraging are performed at a later age. Age polyethism underlying mechanisms involve nutrition, age, and reproductive status of the individuals. Such variables interact to modulate appetitive stimuli perception. Here, we evaluate and describe the appetitive perception capability of workers of the eusocial wasp, Vespula germanica, and the influence of age on this behavior. Pre-foraging (newly emerge) and forager wasps (several days old) received antennal stimulation with an increasing concentrations series of carbohydrate and protein-rich solution. Acceptance or rejection was registered. We show that wasps display an ingestion threshold (Maxilla-labium complex extension response score) for both resources. However, each resource shoots a different response curve. We also show that Maxilla-labium complex extension response scores were not significantly different in pre-foragers and foragers wasps. Modulation of the responsiveness to appetitive stimulus does not seem to be a crucial underlying mechanism of age polyethism in V. germanica workers.