Contrasting foraging related behaviours in two sympatric wasps (Vespula maculifrons and V. germanica)

Abstract

Using pinned freshly killed wasps (yellowjackets) to simulate feeding animals, it was found that V. germanica was socially facilitated, and concentrated its foraging activity on those feeders with the most pinned wasps (twenty). V. maculifrons foragers responded inversely, preferentially foraging at feeders with few or no pinned wasps. Using hand‐painted drawing pins (thumb tacks) as wasp models, similar results were found, indicating that visual, rather than olfactory, cues were responsible for the observed distribution. Vespula maculifrons and V. germanica exhibit aggression while foraging at honey‐baited feeders. Both species attack conspecifics at frequencies lower than would be expected under random encounter.