. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. Zoology. 11 21 Nov 11 21 Dec 31 10 20 30 Jan Figure 34. Brood populations, colony 310. 9 19 Feb Tl 21 Mar 31 10 20 Apr 30 This interpretation of the causes of hrood abortion prior to colony dechne is in accordance with those of Zikan (1951) for Mischocyttarus and Ronbaud (1916) for Belonogaster. Ronbaud found that when mature (foraging) females were removed from a nest, the callows began eating larvae. He concluded that the foragers were necessary for maintenance of the colony and that colony decline was caused by "parasi
. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. Zoology. 11 21 Nov 11 21 Dec 31 10 20 30 Jan Figure 34. Brood populations, colony 310. 9 19 Feb Tl 21 Mar 31 10 20 Apr 30 This interpretation of the causes of hrood abortion prior to colony dechne is in accordance with those of Zikan (1951) for Mischocyttarus and Ronbaud (1916) for Belonogaster. Ronbaud found that when mature (foraging) females were removed from a nest, the callows began eating larvae. He concluded that the foragers were necessary for maintenance of the colony and that colony decline was caused by "parasitism" by the abundant males on the mature nest. An experiment per- formed b\' Turner (1912) points to the same conclusion. He collected a post- emergence nest of Polistes pallipes, leaving the adults behind, and transplanted it to a cage. As offspring emerged he fed them with honey. In spite of these feedings, the adults soon began to eat lar\'ae from the nest. From this point on the adults were proN'ided with insects, and there was no further abortion of the larvae. The larvae were fed by the adults and many pupated and subsequently produced normal adults. These experiments support the con- clusion that brood abortion is initiated when adults are not proxided with enough proteinaceous food. c. Role of the brood. The larvae in nests from which the adults were removed sur- vived for more than a week. In times of scarcit}^ the larvae shrank markedly in size and presented a dried appearance. Pre- sumably they maintained themselves at such times by draw ing on their fat reserves. Thus, the larvae can act as a buffer system for the colony during short periods of food shortage, absorbing the stress as an in- crease in the time spent in the larval stage. Maschwitz (1966a, b) has argued that the lar\al secretion serves as a "reservoir" of food for the adults during temporary periods of poor foraging. Presumably, even if the adults are not getting enough food \ia the fora
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