How to Design Experiments in Animal Behaviour: 6. Why are Male Wasps Lazy?

Gadagkar, R (2019) How to Design Experiments in Animal Behaviour: 6. Why are Male Wasps Lazy? In: Resonance – Journal of Science Education, 24 (9). pp. 995-1014.

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Abstract

In this article, we move from sensory physiology to psychologyand consider the proverbially lazy drone. I will describehow some simple experiments permitted us to understandwhy males in the Indian paper wasp Ropalidia marginata dono work in the colony even during the time they live in it. Takingthe behaviour of feeding larvae as an example of work,we show that male wasps normally do not feed larvae, not becausethey are incapable of doing so, but because they do nothave access to enough food and also because female wasps areso much better at this job. As a confirmation of this conclusion,we could cure the males of their laziness, i.e., get themto feed the larvae by providing them with excess food andleaving them in the presence of hungry larvae, without thepresence of females.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Resonance – Journal of Science Education
Publisher:	Springer
Additional Information:	Copyright to this article belongs to Springer
Keywords:	Psychology, laziness, paper wasp, feminine monarchy, larval feeding, feeding rate, clypeus.
Department/Centre:	Division of Biological Sciences > Centre for Ecological Sciences
Date Deposited:	11 Jan 2021 05:39
Last Modified:	11 Jan 2021 05:39
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/67576

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