Studies for the evolution and maintenance of worker reproduction in paper wasps

我们分析了社会结构的澳大利亚群成立纸胡蜂Ropalidia romandi。人工诱导巢起始。我们观察到新的行为，工人选择一些皇后中的许多皇后的攻击行为。蚁后之间的遗传相关性高于工蜂之间的遗传相关性，这表明周期性寡雌现象可以用来解释这种趋势。对日本纸蜂Polistessnelleni的繁殖后代进行了分析，发现其群体大小与雌蜂比例呈显著正相关。这种正相关关系可以解释为：（1）较大的群体享有更多的投资资源，从而导致更高的雌性性比;（2）交配的工蜂对雌性产量的贡献更大，从而导致更高的雌性性比。利用我们最初开发的13个微卫星标记分析了日本纸蜂Polistes chinensis antennalis的社会结构。结果表明：（1）沿着第一窝卵产生的早期雄虫为二倍体，最终不育;（2）群体大小与工蜂产卵频率呈显著正相关;我们比较了母蜂的基因型和孵化出的幼虫的后代假定的母亲，并指出，大多数鸡蛋的工人被吃掉的皇后和工人。在单雌和单雄的群体，如中国P. chinensis antennalis，相互工人警务理论上是不可能的。但是，我们的发现与理论相矛盾，这似乎是一个非常新颖的理论。

We analyzed the social structure of the Australian swarm-founding paper wasp Ropalidia romandi. Nest initiations were artificially induced. We observed novel behaviors where workers selected certain queens among many queens by aggressive behaviors. Genetic relatedness between the queens was higher than that between workers, suggesting that cyclical oligogyny could be applied to explain this tendency. There was no clear evidence to show worker reproduction in this species: We analyzed the production of reproductives by the Japanese paper wasp Polistes snelleni, and revealed that there was significant positive relationship between colony size and female ratio. This positive relationship could be explained either by (1) larger colonies enjoy more investment resource and which causes, more female sex ratio, (2) mated workers contribute more female production and which bring more female sex ratio. We analyzed the social structure of the Japanese paper wasp Polistes chinensis antennalis by using 13 microsatellite markers that we had originally developed. The results were (1) early males that were produced along the first brood were diploid, and eventually sterile, (2) there was a significantly positive relationship between colony size and the frequency of worker oviposition, (3) there was no clear relationship between colony size and the frequency of workers' sons. We compared the genotypes of mother wasps and the hatched larvae that were offspring the putative mothers, and indicating that most eggs by workers were eaten by both queens and workers. In monogynous and monandrous colonies like P. chinensis antennalis, mutual worker policing could not theoretically expected. But, our finding contradicts the theory and it seems a very novel one.