Nest Construction of Ropalidia fasciata (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)

概要

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Details of the nest structure of Ropalidia fasciata are given. The rules of nest construction in R. fasciata are that 1) the nest is exposed and without envelope, 2) the comb is monopetiolate, 3) the petiole is enlarged strictly with adult saliva, 4) the first cell is placed eccentrically onto the petiole, 5) the comb is enlarged downward from the petiole, 6) cells are slightly diverging toward the open end, and 7) the bottoms of cells have semitransparent membranous windows for peritrophic sac extraction. The slightly diverging cell is a trait found in all Ropalidia species and is assumed to enable wasps to construct a flat large comb. Within a constraint imposed by the monopetiole, wasps have evolved the vertically longitudinal comb; since the weight of the nest in the vertical comb directs along the plane of the back of the comb which acts as the strong backbone of the nest, it would be able to obtain much larger size than if the monopetiolate comb is made horizontally.
日本昆虫学会の論文
1988-03-25