Nest usurpation

Cuckoo bumblebee Bombus (Psithyrus) rupestris killed by owners of the nest it was trying to usurp, Bombus lapidarius workers

Nest usurpation is when the queen of one species of eusocial insects takes over the colony of another species. Cuckoo bumblebees (Psithyrus)[1] and brood-parasitic paper wasps (e.g., Polistes sulcifer) are known for usurpation.[2]

Among Metapolybia cingulata, it is very common to observe queens taking over other M. cingulata colonies, however it has also been noted that if the two colonies are similar enough, the exchange of workers or queens can be relatively smooth.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Goulson, Dave (2013). A Sting in the Tale. Random House. pp. 117–120. ISBN 978-1-4481-3008-5.
  2. ↑ Cervo R, Macinai V, Dechigi F, Turillazzi S. (2004). “Fast growth of immature brood in a social parasite wasp: a convergent evolution between avian and insect cuckoos”. American Naturalist 164 (6): 814–820. doi: 10.1086/425987.
  3. ↑ Forsyth, Adrian B (1975). "Usurpation and Dominance Behavior in the Polygynous Social Wasp, Metapolybia cingulata (Hymenoptera: Vespidae; Polybiini)". Psyche. 82 (3-4): 299–303. doi:10.1155/1975/83143.
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