Asian hornet
Which answer(s) is/are correct?
In spring:
- The approximately 500 gynes (fertilised queens) that left the secondary nest hidden at the top of a tree and survived the winter build a primary nest to found a new colony.
- In spring, the gynes (fertilised queens) emerge from their winter shelter to feed on nectar.
- The founding queens (queens building an embryonic nest) lay diploid eggs from which workers emerge that are approximately the same size as the queens.
- The gynes (fertilised queens) engage in fierce fighting to usurp embryonic nests.
- The first workers reared by the founding queens are larger than the workers reared by subsequent generations of workers.
- The workers of the Asian hornet feed their queen with a royal jelly–like substance reminiscent of that produced by nurse bees of the honey bee.
View answer
Answers 2 and 4 are correct.
Only 10% of gynes build embryonic nests and are therefore true foundresses. At the end of winter, fertilized queens feed abundantly on nectar to restart their metabolism. Founding queens construct cells that are smaller than those later built by the first generations of workers. Consequently, the first workers are smaller than those of subsequent generations. Until the emergence of the first workers, which will defend their queen, gynes attempt to usurp poorly defended embryonic nests, as the foundresses are alone at that stage in building the nest, laying eggs, and hunting prey to feed the brood. In autumn, future queens are generously fed by the workers and become heavier (fatter) but not larger. Unlike honey bees, queens and larvae are not fed with royal jelly.
► see also: Vespa velutina, Asian hornet