Growth and development of queen colonies of Vespula germanica and V. vulgaris

Abstract

Queen colonies (i.e. colonies constructed and maintained by the queen alone before the emergence of workers) of Vespula germanica and V. vulgaris were reared indoors in order to compare and quantify growth and development of the two species. There was no difference between the species in any of the growth or development parameters measured. Of the queens installed in nesting units, 33% initiated nest building, but of these only 19% (6% of all queens) produced workers. Mean duration of brood stages was 7 days for eggs, 10.5 days for larvae, and 14.8 days for pupae. Brood mortality for the indoor colonies was 4.4%, not significantly different from the estimate of 1.6% made from field‐collected colonies. Cell‐building activity by queens was highly variable from day to day, but showed a consistent trend to be high initially and decline with time. Egg laying was significantly correlated with the rate at which new cells were built. Comparison of indoor and field‐collected colonies indicated some difference in growth rates, which are likely to reflect the ready availability of food and nest‐building materials, and shelter from environmental rigours in the indoor colonies. The existence of a “critical phase” in nest development and a potential role for queen quality are suggested.

Key words:

• Vespula germanica
• V. vulgaris
• queen nests
• colony growth
• development