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，在由多配蜂王（multiple mated queen）统领的社会性膜翅目昆虫（social Hymenoptera）种群中，工蜂可通过管控其他工蜂所产的卵而获益。福斯特与拉特尼克斯（Foster & Ratnieks，2000）曾提供相关证据：在黄胡蜂科物种桑氏麻点胡蜂（*Dolichovespula saxonica*）中，工蜂仅会在多配蜂王统领的种群中实施卵管控行为，而在单配蜂王统领的种群中则不会开展此类管控。然而，该结论的样本量相对有限，且原始研究未对潜在混淆变量（如蜂巢种群的季节性动态变化）进行控制。因此，本研究旨在重新探究桑氏麻点胡蜂（*D. saxonica*）中是否存在兼性工蜂卵管控行为（facultative worker policing）。值得注意的是，本研究数据显示，在被调研的丹麦种群中，工蜂间的亲缘关系与工蜂所产雄性后代的占比并无相关性。此外，本研究发现工蜂间的表皮碳氢化合物（cuticular hydrocarbon）谱型差异与亲缘关系无显著关联，这意味着工蜂或许无法通过其他工蜂的表皮碳氢化合物谱型获取蜂王交配频次的充足信息。据此，并无证据表明工蜂会依据蜂王交配频次对其他工蜂所产的卵实施兼性管控。尽管如此，本研究数据确实证实，蜂巢的季节性动态变化以及雄性后代的饲养位置，均可解释所观测到的工蜂繁殖模式。总体而言，本研究结果表明，此前关于桑氏麻点胡蜂存在兼性工蜂卵管控行为的证据，可能是由于与某些混淆变量存在偶然相关性导致；或者，不同种群间的工蜂管控行为的表达存在显著差异。