Neighbor Recognition and Context‐dependent Aggression in a Solitary Wasp, Sphecius speciosus (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)

摘要: Female cicada-killer wasps (Sphecius speciosus) nest underground and provision one brood chamber at a time with cicadas upon which they lay single egg. Females commonly in dense aggregations of several dozen burrows. Although there is usually only female per nest, occasionally two females encounter each other the same burrow. Burrow owners exhibit variable tolerance intruders (i. e. conspecific who enter their nest), ranging from apparent indifference to intense aggression (biting stinging). Field observations experimental manipulations show that owner's behavior toward influenced by 1) presence an exposed cicada burrow, 2) whether or not intruder nesting near owner, 3) intruder's size. A owner was most aggressive when present its burrow large nonneighbor (i.e. within 1 m aggregation). Owners were markedly less no small neighbor displayed little neighbor. apparently modulate according susceptibility usurpation and/or perhaps cleptoparasitism. The ability S. speciosus vary different contexts suggests selection can favor plasticity social responses even solitary Hymenoptera. Such flexibility may have been forerunner elaborate assessment mechanisms eusocial insects.