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Attraction of Wasp and Bumblebee Lures

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Attraction of Wasp and Bumblebee Lures School of Natural Sciences Degree project work Attraction of Wasp and Bumblebee Lures Elisabeth Carlsson Subject: Biology Level: First cycle Nr: 2011:Bi3 2 Attraction of Wasp and Bumblebee Lures Elisabeth Carlsson Examination Project Work, Biology, 15hp, Bachelor of Science Supervisor: Rikard Unelius, Professor School of Natural Sciences Norrgård Smålandsgatan 24 SE-392 34 Kalmar Examiner: Geoffrey Lemdahl, Associate Professor School of Natural Sciences Kocken Landgången 4 SE-392 31 Kalmar I. Abstract The introduced common wasp, Vespula vulgaris, is causing problems around the world, particularly on New Zealand. The wasps have big effects on the native animal life and the community structure. One research group on New Zealand has tried out a lure that attracts Vespula spp. In this study, this lure was tested to see if the wasps in Sweden are attracted to the same chemical signals as the wasps on New Zealand. In a subproject, a bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) lure was also tested. Delta traps with different lures were placed in two different habitats near Kalmar. During ten weeks, only five wasps and no bumblebees were trapped. At this stage it was decided to investigate which insects that had been caught and the results were focused on the butterflies (Lepidoptera) caught. Over all, more butterflies were caught on Öland than in Kalmar both in traps containing the wasp and bumblebee lures. When comparing wasp and bumblebee lures, the highest number of butterflies was caught in traps containing the bumblebee lure. The reasons for the low catches of wasp and bumblebee are discussed. The catches of butterflies are also discussed. 3 II. Sammanfattning Den introducerade vanliga getingen, Vespula vulgaris, orsakar stora problem runt om i världen, speciellt på Nya Zeeland. De utgör stora påfrestningar på det ursprungliga djurlivet och deras samhällsstruktur. En forskargrupp från Christchurch, Nya Zeeland har testat och tagit fram ett bete som attraherar getingar. I denna studie har detta bete testats för att se om getingarna i Sverige attraheras till samma kemiska signaler som getingarna gör på Nya Zeeland. I ett sidoprojekt testades också ett bete för jordhumlor (Bombus terrestris). Fällor med olika beten placerades i två habitat nära Kalmar. Under tio veckor hade endast fem getingar och inga humlor fångats. I detta skede beslutades det att undersöka vilka insekter som hade fångats i fällorna och där fokuset låg på fjärilar (Lepidoptera). Det fångades fler fjärilar på Öland än i Kalmar, både i fällorna med bete för geting och i de med bete för humlor. En jämförelse mellan getingbetet och humlebetet visade att det fångats flest fjärilar i de fällor innehållande bete för humlor. De möjliga anledningarna till de låga fångsterna av getingar och humlor diskuterades. Fjärilsfångsterna diskuterades också. 4 Contents I. Abstract ................................................................................................................................... 3 II. Sammanfattning ..................................................................................................................... 4 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 6 1.1 Wasps ................................................................................................................................ 7 1.2 Bumble bees ..................................................................................................................... 8 2. Materials and methods ........................................................................................................... 9 2.1 Description of field sites ................................................................................................... 9 2.2 Lures ............................................................................................................................... 10 2.3 Dispensers ....................................................................................................................... 10 2.4 Field traps ....................................................................................................................... 10 2.5 Statistics .......................................................................................................................... 10 3. Results .................................................................................................................................. 11 4. Discussion ............................................................................................................................ 16 4.1 Wasp lure ........................................................................................................................ 17 4.2 Bumblebee lure ............................................................................................................... 17 4.3 Wasp lure versus bumblebee lure ................................................................................... 17 5. Conclusions .......................................................................................................................... 18 6. Acknowledgment ................................................................................................................. 18 7. References ............................................................................................................................ 19 5 1. Introduction Communication with chemical signals between insects is very important, particular among social insects like bees and wasps (Nilsson, 2009) and they have complicated communication systems to be able to do this (Xu et al., 2009). Using chemical signals, they can find rich food sites, mating partners, good hibernation sites and also observe predators (Field et al., 2000). All chemical signals are called semi chemicals, which can be divided into pheromones and allelochemicals (Anderbrant et al., 2005). Pheromones give a reaction in an individual of the same species which is susceptible for the signal. It includes signals for mating, aggregation and alarm. Allelochemicals are used between different species, for example the signals flowers elicit to attract pollinators (Nilsson, 2009). The insects’ olfaction system is very well-developed and very sensitive and specific (Krieger & Breer, 1999) and the receptor is usually located on the insect’s antenna (Field et al., 2000). The introduction of wasps, Vespula spp., as new species has resulted in a severe problem at places where it has been introduced as new species, for example in New Zealand (Landolt et al., 2007). The two species that were introduced to New Zealand were the German wasp, Vespula germanica, in 1945 and the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris, in the 1970’s (Beggs, 2001). Today, V.vulgaris is the dominating species present and it has outcompeted V. germanica in the forest at higher altitudes, since it´s more efficient in collecting food (Beggs et al., 2011). The wasps in New Zealand have found a suitable habitat in the beech forests (Nothofagus spp.) which is infested by a native scale insect (Ultracoelostoma assimile). This insect produces honeydew, which is an important food source for many invertebrates, birds and also the invasive wasps (Grant & Beggs, 1989). In the beech forest, the honeydew is the most common food source that´s similar to nectar and consists of carbons in forms of fructose, sucrose and oligosaccharides. The honeydew is a very abundant food source which makes it possible for the wasps to increase in quantity very rapidly. They are very efficient in harvesting the honeydew and they do it more frequent than the native insects and birds. Therefore, the natural animals are having problems competing with the wasps (Beggs, 2001). The wasp population on New Zealand have grown very large because they don´t have any natural enemies there (Beggs, 2001) and the winters are so warm that the nest can persist to the next year, which is an advantage since they don´t need to build up a new nest from scratch every year (Harris & Oliver, 1993). An additional reason for that they have become so large in numbers could be that their carbohydrate source, the honeydew, can be produced at high levels. The honeydew production can reach about 4000 kg/ha/year (Beggs et al., 2005). Despite from carbohydrates, wasps also need protein which they receive by consuming other insects. These insects are also a food source for many birds, therefore they have become very affected by the wasps who intrude their protein-source. Thereby, the introduction of the invasive wasp has led to big effects on the native life and composition of the animal community (Beggs, 2001). 6 There have been many attempts to reduce the wasp colonies by creating lures that attracts the wasps. One research group (El-Sayed et al., 2009) has tested which chemical signals the wasps are attracted to and which are necessary in a lure that attracts wasps. They have developed a lure consisting of six synthetic chemicals which the wasps finds very attractive. Using the produced lure, about 80 wasps were caught per trap in only two hours (Unelius, unpublished data). During earlier attempts to reduce the wasp colonies, poisoned cat-food has been used and has been proved to attract and kill wasps (Beggs et al., 1998). The disadvantage with poisoned cat-food is that the odors vanish after just a few days, compared to the chemical lures odors, which can persist several days. With a synthetic attractant that can be released
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