Growth rate and body weight of foundress-reared offspring in a paper wasp, Polistes chinensis (Hymenoptera, Vespidae):: no influence of food quantity on the first offspring

Laboratory experiments with Polistes chinensis (Perez) showed that growth rates and weights of the first-hatched offspring were not different between food-available and food-deficient conditions. In food-deficient colonies, some first-hatched offspring grew quickly, but their dry weights were not different from that of later offspring. The present results suggest that foundresses of P. chinensis may intensively feed some first-hatched larvae to produce the first workers quickly under food-deficient conditions. Since food availability of field foundresses of this species has been estimated as very low, it seems likely that they may produce the first offspring as early as possible by such feeding. On the other hand, heavier offspring were produced when extra food is available, especially in the latter half of the order of emergence. Foundresses of this species may change the amount of prey fed to each larva in response to food availability.