Gustatory responsiveness in Vespula germanica workers: exploring the interplay between sensory perception and task specialization

This study investigates the responsiveness to carbohydrates or proteins inVespula germanica workers and the interplay with task specialization. The research aims to describe the behavior of wasps and explore the underlying mechanisms behind the labor division strategy adopted by workers. The study establishes a protocol for measuring gustatory sensitivity in harnessed wasps and examines the perception and discrimination of sucrose and amino acids. The results reveal differences in responsiveness thresholds between preforaging and foraging workers, providing insights into the task specialization ofV. germanica. However, further studies are required to comprehensively understand labor division dynamics within social wasp societies. AbstractWorkers ’ task specialization and division of labor are critical features of social insects’ ecological success. It has been proposed that the division of labor relies on response threshold models: individuals varying their sensitivity (and responsiveness) to biologically relevant stimuli and performing a specific task when a stimulus exceeds an internal threshold. In this work, we study carbohydrate and protein responsiveness and their relation to worker task specialization inVespula germanica, an invasive social wasp. The sucrose and peptone responsiveness of two different subcastes, preforagers and foragers, was determined by stimulating the antenna of the wasps with increasing concentrations of the solution and quantifying whether eac...
Source: Insect Science - Category: Biology Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research