HAL Id: hal-02874916
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Submitted on 19 Jun 2020
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invasive hornet Vespa velutina (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) in Europe
Izaskun Pérez-De-Heredia, Éric Darrouzet, Arturo Goldarazena, Pedro Romón, Juan Carlos Iturrondobeitia
To cite this version:
Izaskun Pérez-De-Heredia, Éric Darrouzet, Arturo Goldarazena, Pedro Romón, Juan Carlos Itur-
rondobeitia. Differentiating between gynes and workers in the invasive hornet Vespa velutina (Hy-
menoptera, Vespidae) in Europe. Journal of Hymenoptera Research, Sofia : Pensoft Publishers; [s.l.] :
International Society of Hymenopterists., 2017, 60, pp.119-133. �10.3897/jhr.60.13505�. �hal-02874916�
Differentiating between gynes and workers in the invasive hornet Vespa velutina (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) in Europe
Izaskun Pérez-de-Heredia
1, Eric Darrouzet
2, Arturo Goldarazena
3, Pedro Romón
1, Juan-Carlos Iturrondobeitia
11 Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country, Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain 2 IRBI, UMR CNRS 7261, University of Tours, Faculty of Sciences, Parc de Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France 3 Earth and Life Institute, Biodiversity Université Catho- lique de Louvain, 4–5 Croix du Sud, Bâtiment Carnoi 5, 1348 Louvain La Neuve, Belgium
Corresponding author: Izaskun Pérez-de-Heredia (izaskun.perezdeheredia@ehu.eus)
Academic editor:
Jack Neff | Received 18 May 2017 | Accepted 24 August 2017 | Published 30 October 2017
http://zoobank.org/1B0454EF-D01E-4175-AE6A-CBF1FF72CD83Citation:
Pérez-de-Heredia I, Darrouzet E, Goldarazena A, Romón P, Iturrondobeitia J-C (2017) Differentiating between gynes and workers in the invasive hornet Vespa velutina (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) in Europe. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 60: 119–133. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.60.13505
Abstract
In theVespinae, morphological differences of castes are generally well-marked, except for some Vespa species, where it is difficult to distinguish between future queens and workers in autumn-winter colonies. Individual weights have widely been used as a distinguishing factor but recently cuticular hydrocarbon profiles seems to be the definitive tool, although much more expensive and time-consuming. Parameters such as size (mesos- cutum width), wet and dry weight were analysed, throughout several colonies, to differentiate female castes (workers and gynes) in the hornet Vespa velutina in Europe. These parameters were compared to cuticular hydrocarbon profiles. The results showed that in late autumn, but not earlier, populations are divided into two size groups, which, based on their CHC profiles, can be hypothesized to correspond to workers and gynes. This differentiation mirrored a good separation by size that proves to be more accurate than weight (wet and dry). The size limit between workers and gynes is established at a mesoscutum width of 4.5 mm.
Keywords
caste differentiation, CHCs, chemical signature, size, weight, yellow-legged hornet
http://jhr.pensoft.net
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