ISSN:
1439-5444
Keywords:
Key words Social wasps
;
Polistes riparius
;
Polistes chinensis
;
Preemergence nests
;
Oral secretion
;
Amino acid composition
;
Nest construction
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Abstract Amino acid composition of the protein in the oral secretion, which is widely used for construction and maintenance of social wasp nests, was analyzed in preemergence nests of Polistes (Polistes) riparius. The kinds and proportion (%) of amino acids of the protein detected from nests of P. riparius were very similar to those of a consubgeneric species, P. (P.) chinensis, but were conspicuously different from those of other social wasp genera. Further, it was estimated that protein contents in oral secretion of P. riparius were nearly the same as those of P. chinensis; namely, foundresses of P. riparius, which build much larger nests than those of P. chinensis, did not reduce relative protein contents to produce more oral secretion at a smaller cost. Amino acid composition may reflect phylogenetic relationships among wasp taxa.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s101640070003
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