We tested whether foragers of Vespula germanica leave a chemical attractant behind at a food site. Foragers from a single colony were allowed to make either 50 or 100 visits to a feeder filled with a rich, unscented food source. We then gave them a choice between this and an identical but unvisited feeder. There was no difference between the number of individuals that chose the visited feeder and those that chose the unvisited one. Instead, wasps showed a tendency to choose a food site based on its position on the feeding stand. We conclude that foragers of V. germanica do not leave a chemical attractant behind at food sites. Instead they rely on local visual cues and food odors to relocate a food source.
Species 1: Hymenoptera Vespidae Vespula germanica (German yellowjacket)
Keywords: social wasps, foraging behavior
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