<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vespula germanica</Emphasis> Foragers Do Not Scent-Mark Carbohydrate Food Sites |
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Authors: | Jennifer?M?Jandt Laura?Riel Benjamin?Crain Email author" target="_blank">Robert?L?JeanneEmail author |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin;(2) Departments of Entomology and Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin;(3) Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706 |
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Abstract: | We tested whether foragers of Vespula germanica leave a chemical attractant at a carbohydrate food site. Foragers were allowed to make 50 or 100 visits to a feeder filled with a rich, unscented fructose solution. We then gave them a choice between this and an identical but unvisited feeder. There was no difference between the number of individuals that chose the visited feeder and those that chose the unvisited one. Instead, wasps showed a tendency to choose a feeder based on its relative position on the feeding stand. We conclude that foragers of V. germanica do not scent-mark food sites. Instead, in the absence of food odor, they rely on local visual cues to relocate carbohydrate food sources. |
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Keywords: | Vespula germanica social wasp attractant scent-marking visual cue foraging behavior |
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