Dani F R, Cervo R, Turillazzi S
Departimento di Biologia Animale e Genetica, Università di Firenze, Florence, Italy.
Behav Processes. 1992 Dec;28(1-2):51-8. doi: 10.1016/0376-6357(92)90048-I.
The behaviour of stroking the abdomen over the nest surface has previously been described in females of only a few Polistes wasp species, and was considered to be associated with pheromonal release. This study examines abdomen stroking in solitary and multiple female laboratory colonies of Polistes dominulus during the pre-emergence period. In multiple female colonies stroking behaviour is related to hierarchy: alpha females stroking more than subordinates. However, after removal of the dominant female the subordinate increases her stroking rate. Solitary females also stroke but, unlike alpha females, they do so less during the egg-stage than in subsequent stages of the colonial cycle. It is hypothesized that abdomen stroking cues the immature brood as to which adult female is the dominant individual; this could lead to competition between females on the same nest. This function is also discussed in the context of intra- and inter-specific Polistes parasites, where the behaviour is particularly evident.
此前，仅在少数几种马蜂属黄蜂的雌性个体中描述过在巢穴表面抚摸腹部的行为，并且该行为被认为与信息素释放有关。本研究考察了意大利马蜂在羽化前期单雌和多雌实验室蜂群中的腹部抚摸行为。在多雌蜂群中，抚摸行为与等级制度有关：优势雌蜂比从属雌蜂抚摸得更多。然而，在移除优势雌蜂后，从属雌蜂的抚摸频率会增加。独居雌蜂也会抚摸腹部，但与优势雌蜂不同的是，它们在卵期的抚摸次数比在蜂群周期的后续阶段要少。据推测，腹部抚摸行为会向未成熟的蜂群表明哪只成年雌蜂是优势个体；这可能会导致同一巢穴中的雌蜂之间产生竞争。在马蜂属内寄生虫和种间寄生虫的背景下也讨论了这一功能，在这种情况下该行为尤为明显。
