Behavioral Ecology of Japanese Paper Wasps, Polistes spp. (Hymenoptera: Vespidae): II. Ethogram and Internidal Relationship in P. chinensis antennalis in the Founding Stage

and Summary The behavioral catalogue, distribution of time spent in a single act of each behavior type, and matrix of transition between two acts of foundresses of a Japanese paper wasp, Polistes chinensis antennalis Perez during the founding stage are described. The results are as follows: 1 The observed repertoire size was 34 and the total number of acts was 4656. 2 Most of transitions in the matrix were seen in behavior sequences of which the functional significance is clear, and in relationships between diffuse behavior on nest and other types of behavior and among different diffuse behaviors. 3 The distribution of time spent in a single act was, as a rule, unimodal. The modes were usually less than the means. 4 Foundresses sometimes attacked larvae of other nests of the same species to eat or to give them to their larvae. When the foundress of the attacked nest stayed on her nest, the attacks always failed. The two foundresses (an intruder and the nest owner) were engaged in a ‘spiral flight’, with their flight paths interlocking as in a double helix. As a result of this spiral flight, the intruder always left. 5 Intervals between two consecutive works off nest were longest during the egg substage (when there are only eggs in nest), medium during the pupal substage (with eggs, larvae and pupae in nest), and shortest in the larval substage (with larvae and eggs in nest). 6 Intervals of works off nest tended to be longer after the spiral flight. Time spent in a single trip of flesh collection was shorter than in other cases. 7 The daily change in activity was examined. The distributions of the proportion of time spent in works off nest were unimodal in all substages, of which peaks were seen about noon. In the pupal substage, the time spent in all works off nest was shorter than in the larval substage. The evolutionary stability of the aggressive internidal relationship and dependence of behavioral patterns on this internidal relationship are discussed. Zusammenfassung Das Ethogramm, der Zeitaufwand fur einzelne Verhaltensweisen und die Matrix des Uberganges zwischen zwei Handlungen der Nestgrunderinnen der japanischen Papierwespe, Polistes chinensis antennalis, werden beschrieben. 1 Das beobachtete Repertoire umfaste 34 Handlungen, deren Gesamtzahl war 4656. 2 Die meisten der Ubergange in der Matrix wurden in den Sequenzen beobachtet, deren funktionelle Bedeutungen klar sind, und in den Uber gangen zwischen diffusem Verhalten am Nest und anderem sowie zwischen verschiedenen diffusen Verhaltensweisen am Nest. 3 Die Verteilungen der Handlungsdauer waren gewohnlich eingipflig. Die Gipfelwerte waren meistens kleiner als das Mittel. 4 Nestgrunderinnen griffen manchmal die Larven anderer Nester ihrer Art an, um sie zu fressen oder um sie an ihre Larven zu verfuttern. Die Nest-grunderin des angegriffenen Nestes wehrte die Angriffe immer ab, wenn sie zu Hause war. Beide Nestgrunderinnen (die Angreiferin und die Eigentumerin) stiegen zum Doppelspiralen-Flug auf, in dem die Angreiferin immer vertrieben wurde. 5 Die Zeiten zwischen zwei aufeinanderfolgenden Tatigkeiten auserhalb des Nestes waren am langsten, wenn es nur Eier im Nest gab, mittellang, wenn es Eier, Larven und Puppen gab, und am kurzesten, wenn es nur Eier und Larven gab. 6 Dieselben Zeiten wurden langer nach dem Spiralenfliegen, aber die Zeit fur Fleischsammeln wurde kurzer. 7 Die Verteilung der Zeitanteile fur alle Arbeiten auserhalb des Nestes hatte gegen Mittag einen Hohepunkt. Die Zeit fur alle Tatigkeiten war im Puppenstadium kurzer als im Ei- und Larvenstadium.