Size and colony cycle in Polistes satan, a Neotropical paper wasp (Hymenoptera Vespidae)

Abstract

Recent studies report that reproductive and non-reproductive roles of individuals can be associated with body size variation and/or physiological differences in many primitively eusocial wasps. This paper investigates the effects of the season on the body size and reproductive differences in Polistes satan. In pre-emergence colonies, inseminated females are significantly larger than subordinates for most of body measurements. Season has no effect on the differences related to the body size between inseminated females and uninseminated females from post-emergence colonies. However, most morphometric variables were significantly different between uninseminated females collected in distinct periods of the year. We suggest that seasonal variation may affect uninseminated females directly reflecting a flexible developmental programme in primitively eusocial wasps.

Keywords:

• Vespidae
• Polistinae
• Polistes
• reproductive differences
• seasonal variation