On reconfirming the evidence for pre-imaginal caste bias in a primitively eusocial wasp

Gadagkar, Raghavendra ; Bhagavan, Seetha ; Malpe, Rashmi ; Vinutha, C. (1990) On reconfirming the evidence for pre-imaginal caste bias in a primitively eusocial wasp Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences - Animal Sciences, 99 (2). pp. 141-150. ISSN 0253-4118

[img]
Preview
PDF - Publisher Version
1MB

Official URL: http://www.ias.ac.in/j_archive/procb/volindex.html

Related URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF03186384

Abstract

Caste is usually thought to be determined entirely in the adult stage in most primitively eusocial wasps and bees. A pre-imaginal caste bias has however been recently discovered in the primitively eusocial wasp Ropalidia marginata. This study also suggested that reigning queens and possibly other adults may influence the production of new queens and implied at least partial support to the parental manipulation or sub-fertility hypothesis for the evolution of insect sociality. The interest of these results prompted an attempt at their reconfirmation. Complete reconfirmation has now been obtained using data from an independent experiment and two additional methods of data analysis. We therefore conclude that caste is at least partly determined prior to eclosion in the primitively eusocial wasp Ropalidia marginata which lacks morphological differentiation between egg-layers and non-egg-layers.

Item Type:Article
Source:Copyright of this article belongs to Indian Academy of Sciences.
Keywords:Ropalidia marginata ; Social Wasps; Caste Determination; Evolution of Sociality
ID Code:23700
Deposited On:26 Nov 2010 08:58
Last Modified:17 May 2016 07:29

Repository Staff Only: item control page