Naturwissenschaften (2008) 95:787–792 DOI 10.1007/s00114-008-0384-x ORIGINAL PAPER Yellowjackets (Vespula pensylvanica) thermoregulate in response to changes in protein concentration M. A. Eckles & E. E. Wilson & D. A. Holway & J. C. Nieh Received: 31 May 2007 /Revised: 5 March 2008 /Accepted: 27 March 2008 /Published online: 22 April 2008 # Springer-Verlag 2008 Abstract Social insects can modulate body temperature to Introduction increase foraging efficiency; however, little is known about how the relative value of protein resources affects In eusocial Hymenoptera, foraging strategies generally forager body temperature. Such regulation may be impor- balance the energy expenditure of individual foragers with tant given that colony growth is often limited by protein net energetic gains to the colony (Seeley et al. 1991). For availability. In this paper, we present what are, to our example, honeybee (Apis mellifera) foragers trade off food knowledge, the first data for social insects showing that value of nectar with the caloric costs of food transport, thoracic temperatures (Tth) of foragers increase with the colony recruitment, and competition (Dyer 2002). The protein content of food resources. In an introduced value of carbohydrates in influencing nectar foraging population of western yellowjacket (Vespula pensylvan- behavior and communication is well known (Pankiw and ica), we measured Tth of foragers collecting high-quality Page 2000; Kay 2002; Nieh et al. 2003; Scheiner et al. protein (100% canned chicken) and low-quality protein 2004; Nieh and Sanchez 2005). These studies discuss (50% canned chicken, 50% indigestible alpha-cellulose by sophisticated behavioral mechanisms that play key roles in volume) at different ambient air temperatures (Ta). Wasps colony food gathering. By comparison, the role of protein foraging on 100% chicken consistently exhibited higher Tth quality in hymenopteran foraging has received less atten- compared to wasps foraging on 50% chicken. After tion, although protein is essential to colony growth. The correcting for Ta, the mean Tth for wasps collecting 100% few existing studies on this topic all address pollen chicken were 1.98°C higher than those of individuals collection in bees (Pernal and Currie 2001; Pankiw and collecting 50% chicken. We suggest that this mechanism Rubink 2002; Bertram et al. 2003). may increase foraging efficiency in this and other social During resource collection, foraging insects incur a wasp species. metabolic cost in part because flight muscles must achieve a minimum threshold temperature (Coelho and Ross 1996). Variation in ambient air temperature (Ta) can greatly affect Keywords Foraging . Thermoregulation . Vespula . the energy expended by foragers to reach this flight Protein . Wasp threshold. Thus, some wasps and bees alter their metabolic or activity rates to respond to changes in Ta (Heinrich 1993). For example, honeybees exhibit a positive correla- tion between thoracic temperatures (Tth) and Ta over certain ranges of T (Schmaranzer and Stabentheiner 1988; Woods : : : a M. A. Eckles (*) E. E. Wilson D. A. Holway J. C. Nieh et al. 2005). The ability to maintain a positive relationship Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Ecology, Behavior, between body temperature and Ta is a form of thermoreg- and Evolution, University of California, San Diego, ulation (Coelho and Ross 1996). Mail Code 0116, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0116, USA Foragers can minimize thermoregulatory costs incurred e-mail: [email protected] while foraging by varying Tth in response to the carbohy- 788 Naturwissenschaften (2008) 95:787–792 drate content of food (Heinrich 1984; Dyer and Seeley Materials and methods 1987; Schmaranzer and Stabentheiner 1988; Waddington 1990; Stabentheiner and Hagmüller 1991; Underwood Study site and colonies 1991; Kovac and Stabentheiner 1999; Stabentheiner 2001; Nieh and Sanchez 2005; Nieh et al. 2006). Honeybee We performed all experiments in the Hilina Pali region of foragers thermoregulate in response to sugar concentration, Volcanoes National Park (HAVO) on the Big Island of maintaining a higher Tth in response to more concentrated Hawaii (19°20.6 ′N, 155°16.4′ W, elevation 994 m). HAVO sucrose solutions compared to less concentrated solutions supports locally abundant, non-native populations of V. over the same range of Ta (Stabentheiner 2001). Using a pensylvanica as well as diverse assemblages of native similar approach, Kovac and Stabentheiner (1999) demon- arthropod prey such as Araneae, Coleoptera, Diptera, and strated that Vespula vulgaris foragers adjust Tth in response Lepidoptera (Gambino 1992). At these sites, V. pensylvan- to sucrose concentration. The ability to maintain Tth above ica also actively scavenges vertebrate carrion. We collected Ta may reduce the time needed to attain the minimum data in September 2005 on 134 foragers from four different threshold temperature for flight even at low environmental colonies (N=31, N=33, N=29, N=41 wasps, respectively) temperatures (Heinrich 1984; Coelho and Ross 1996). In located in an area of approximately 0.18 km2. We tested this way, thermoregulation may facilitate resource exploi- each colony once per day. Therefore, trials of different tation (Kovac and Stabentheiner 1999). In Vespine wasps, protein qualities occurred on separate days but at the same Tth closely corresponds with activity level; Tth decreases time of day (1000 or 1400) to control for diurnal patterns of during inactivity and increases during high activity (Kovac activity. Trials were conducted in diffuse sunlight. and Stabentheiner 1999). Although such thermoregulation depends on the behavioural context of the forager (e.g., Bait composition and experimental setup leaving the nest, entering the nest, or interacting with nestmates; Coelho and Ross 1996), no study to date has We measured Tth of V. pensylvanica foragers collecting examined whether thermoregulatory behaviors also change baits with either higher protein content (100% chicken by with the type of resource (such as carbohydrates or volume) or lower protein content (50% chicken by proteins). volume). Invertebrate species preyed upon by wasps Protein foraging has been examined primarily with generally consist of 40–70% protein by dry weight (Allen respect to pollen foraging by honeybees. Pernal and Currie 1989). Lean chicken (Hormel® 98% fat-free chicken breast; (2001) demonstrated that A. mellifera colonies respond to 0.3 g fat, 2.7 g protein, 0.0 g carbohydrate) was used as the deficiencies in their pollen reserves by increasing the protein source. Canned chicken is currently used in baiting proportion of foragers collecting pollen rather than by V. pensylvanica at HAVO (Gruner and Foote 2000) and was accumulating pollen of higher quality. In this paper, we preferred over ground beef and tuna in our pilot studies. define protein quality or concentration as the relative Each 100% chicken bait consisted of 15 cm3 of canned proportion of chicken bait that consists of protein. Individ- chicken (mean±SD, 28.6±3.4 g). A concentration of ual honeybee foragers can evidently assess protein resource 50% chicken by volume was obtained by mixing 7.5 cm3 quality (Waddington et al. 1998). However, forager sensi- of chicken with an equal volume of packed alpha-cellulose tivity to pollen quality may not be highly refined because powder (Sigma, EC 232-674-9), an inert indigestible pollen is scraped off the abdomen and packed directly into compound used to vary the protein content of resources the corbiculae without first being sampled (Hodges 1984; for foraging honeybees (Pernal and Currie 2001)and Pernal and Currie 2001). caterpillars (Lee et al. 2004). Alpha cellulose has a low In contrast to honeybees, wasp foragers macerate prey, density (bulk density, 110–145 g/l), and thus, we diluted the providing them with an extended opportunity to assess protein content of the bait by volume instead of by mass. protein quality. To examine the role of thermoregulation in The difference in the consistency of the two bait types is protein foraging by predatory wasps, we measured the unlikely to have affected foraging responses because thermal responses of yellowjacket foragers to varying grinding meat and altering its texture have no effect on qualities of protein resources. Because most studies of Vespula visitation or acceptance of baits (Reid and social wasp foraging address prey preferences, our study is Macdonald 1986). Although other factors such as weight novel in its focus on the behavioral responses of foragers to or odor intensity may also be affected by this dilution protein quality. Our results indicate that foraging yellow- process (Waddington et al. 1998), natural prey vary in jackets elevate Tth in response to bait concentration. We macronutrient concentration, weight, density, and odor even suggest that yellowjackets, and perhaps other social wasps, within the same prey species. We therefore expect foragers may increase their foraging efficiency by modulating Tth to have the ability to assess protein quality in addition to relative to protein quality. other physical characteristics of their food. Naturwissenschaften (2008) 95:787–792 789 Individual wasps foraged at protein bait stations, each of to ensure that any observed changes in temperature were which consisted of a single bait on a blue circular plastic not caused by metabolic activity. Repeat temperature dish (14-cm diameter) placed on an ice pack (12.1×19.1× measurements (mean±SD, 2.82±1.84) of individual wasps 1.9 cm). The ice pack ensured that bait temperature were taken on successive visits to the bait. We used the remained relatively constant throughout the trial and mean Tth per individual in all statistical analyses. provided a sufficiently low background temperature against which to measure the Tth wasps. The mean temperature of Statistical analyses the bait achieved by this process was 21.2±1.8°C, while Ta ranged from 21.1°C to 29.0°C. Because of air flow and Only individual wasps for which we had both control and wasp movements during foraging, the ice pack had a processing temperature data were included in the analyses negligible effect on wasp body temperature.