Data from: Colony stage and not facultative policing explains pattern of worker reproduction in the Saxon wasp

Inclusive fitness theory predicts that in colonies of social Hymenoptera headed by a multiple mated queen, workers should benefit from policing eggs laid by other workers. Foster & Ratnieks (2000) provided evidence that in the vespine wasp Dolichovespula saxonica, workers police other workers' eggs only in colonies headed by a multiple mated queen, but not in those headed by a single mated one. This conclusion, however, was based on a relatively small sample size and the original study did not control for possible confounding variables such as the seasonal colony progression of the nests. Our aim, therefore, was to reinvestigate whether or not facultative worker policing occurs in D. saxonica. Remarkably, our data shows that in the studied Danish population, there was no correlation between worker-worker relatedness and the percentage of worker-derived males. In addition, we show that variability in cuticular hydrocarbon profiles among the workers did not significantly correlate with relatedness, and that workers therefore probably did not have sufficient information on queen mating frequency from the workers’ cuticular hydrocarbon profiles. Hence, there was no evidence that workers facultatively policed other workers' eggs in response to queen mating frequency. Nevertheless, our data do show that the seasonal progression of the nest and the location in which the males were reared both explain the patterns of worker reproduction found. Overall, our results suggest that the earlier evidence for facultative worker policing in D. saxonica may have been due to accidental correlations with certain confounding variables, or, alternatively, that there are large interpopulation differences in the expression of worker policing.广义适合度理论（Inclusive fitness theory）预测，在由多次交配蜂王（multiple mated queen）统领的社会性膜翅目昆虫（social Hymenoptera）种群中，工蜂应当可从管控其他工蜂所产卵的行为中获益。Foster与Ratnieks（2000）曾提供证据表明，在胡蜂（vespine wasp）长黄胡蜂（Dolichovespula saxonica）中，工蜂仅在由多配蜂王统领的种群中管控其他工蜂的卵，而在由单配蜂王统领的种群中则不会执行该行为。然而，该结论基于相对较小的样本量，且原始研究未控制诸如蜂巢季节性种群发展这类潜在混淆变量。因此，本研究旨在重新探究长黄胡蜂（D. saxonica）中是否存在条件性工蜂管控行为（facultative worker policing）。值得注意的是，我们的数据显示，在本次研究的丹麦种群中，工蜂间的亲缘关系与工蜂衍生雄蜂的比例并无显著相关性。此外，我们发现工蜂间的表皮碳氢化合物谱型（cuticular hydrocarbon profiles）差异与亲缘关系并无显著关联，因此工蜂可能无法通过表皮碳氢化合物谱型获取足够的蜂王交配次数信息。由此可见，并无证据表明工蜂会依据蜂王交配次数对其他工蜂的卵实施条件性管控。尽管如此，我们的数据仍显示，蜂巢的季节性发展进程以及雄蜂培育位置，均可解释所观测到的工蜂繁殖模式。总体而言，我们的研究结果表明，此前关于长黄胡蜂存在条件性工蜂管控行为的证据，可能源于与某些混淆变量的偶然相关性，亦或是不同种群间的工蜂管控行为表达存在显著差异。