Conspecifics Enhance Attraction of Vespula germanica (Hymenoptera:

D'ADAMO, PAOLA; LOZADA M.; CORLEY J.

Annals of the entomological society of America

Año: 2003 vol. 96 p. 685 - 688

Local enhancement has been shown to occur in the social wasp Vespula germanica (F.), a speciesthat feedson live insectsaswell ason dead animals. Some studiess uggest local enhancement is based on sight, whereas others suggest that odors emanating from wasp bodies are more important in attracting conspecifc workers to a food source. We studied whether the attraction of V. germanica a speciesthat feedson live insectsaswell ason dead animals. Some studiess uggest local enhancement is based on sight, whereas others suggest that odors emanating from wasp bodies are more important in attracting conspecifc workers to a food source. We studied whether the attraction of V. germanica a speciesthat feedson live insectsaswell ason dead animals. Some studiess uggest local enhancement is based on sight, whereas others suggest that odors emanating from wasp bodies are more important in attracting conspecifc workers to a food source. We studied whether the attraction of V. germanica a speciesthat feedson live insectsaswell ason dead animals. Some studiess uggest local enhancement is based on sight, whereas others suggest that odors emanating from wasp bodies are more important in attracting conspecifc workers to a food source. We studied whether the attraction of V. germanica a speciesthat feedson live insectsaswell ason dead animals. Some studiess uggest local enhancement is based on sight, whereas others suggest that odors emanating from wasp bodies are more important in attracting conspecifc workers to a food source. We studied whether the attraction of V. germanica Vespula germanica (F.), a speciesthat feedson live insectsaswell ason dead animals. Some studiess uggest local enhancement is based on sight, whereas others suggest that odors emanating from wasp bodies are more important in attracting conspecifc workers to a food source. We studied whether the attraction of V. germanicaV. germanica foragersto meat baitsincreas esby the addition of live conspeciÞc foragersand analyzed which cues (olfactory and visual) elicit this attraction. Our results show that the combination of meat and wasps strongly enhances the attraction of conspeciÞc foragers. Presenting both visual and olfactory cues together leads to a wasp response that is much greater than if isolated visual or isolated olfactory cues were added, suggesting some synergistic action of both cues