Early male production in a subtropical paper wasp Ropalidia fasciata (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Abstract

In Okinawa, Ropalidia fasciata males emerge at all stages of the colony cycle and they can inseminate first brood females. These first brood females can found their own nests, lay female-destined eggs on these, or work for their natal colonies. This flexible reproductive strategy of R. fasciata is considered to be adaptive under environmental conditions where most of colonies are destroyed by typhoons, ant predation and parasitism. © 1985 Masson.