The dominance-nutrition hypothesis predicts that nutritional intake and energetic costs in adulthood interact to drive behavioral and physiological differences between females in primitively eusocial insects, and thereby affect reproductive caste. We tested predictions of this hypothesis in independent-founding Mischocyttarus pallidipectus paper wasps. We measured stable isotope tissue composition to compare nutritional status before adult emergence and among adult females. Adult tissue δ15N content (an indicator of feeding at a higher trophic level because it is enriched in animal prey relative to plant-based foods) was significantly higher in adults than at the end of pupal development, suggesting adult nutrition affects δ15N content after the end of pupal development. We then asked if behavior and nutritional status predicted ovary development. We measured ovary development, nitrogen and carbon stable isotope ratios, dominance behavior, and task performance (foraging, as indicated by time spent on the nest) for adult female wasps. We used social network analysis to quantify differences in social status between females with developed and undeveloped (filamentous) ovaries. Dominant females spent more time on the nest and were significantly more enriched in δ15N than subordinate females. These data support the dominance-nutrition hypothesis: adult behavior and energy expenditure, and access to animal-based diets, correspond to female reproductive physiology, and may play a role in adult-stage caste determination. Within animal social groups, differential access to resources can affect differences in reproductive success. This may affect caste determination in eusocial colonies, where reproductive tasks are divided between female castes, with a queen (or multiple queens) capable of egg-laying and helped by sterile workers. Female sterile workers and reproductives of some social Hymenoptera are morphologically similar at adult emergence, suggesting that adult experience may impact caste status. We asked whether patterns of nutritional physiology in Mischocyttarus pallidipectus paper wasps matched adult-stage caste determination by testing predictions of the dominance-nutrition hypothesis, which states that adult nutrition and energetic costs of tasks shape reproductive female development through behavioral and physiological changes.

中文翻译：

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生殖生理学对应于新热带纸蜂的成年营养和任务表现：优势营养假设预测的检验

优势营养假说预测，成年期的营养摄入和能量消耗相互作用，以驱动原始真社会性昆虫雌性之间的行为和生理差异，从而影响生殖种姓。我们在独立创立的 Mischocyttarus pallidiectus 纸黄蜂中测试了这一假设的预测。我们测量了稳定同位素组织成分，以比较成虫出现前和成虫雌性之间的营养状况。成虫组织 δ15N 含量（在较高营养级进食的指标，因为相对于植物性食物，它富含动物猎物）在成虫中显着高于蛹发育末期，表明成虫营养在末期影响 δ15N 含量的蛹发育。然后我们询问行为和营养状况是否可以预测卵巢发育。我们测量了成年雌性黄蜂的卵巢发育、氮和碳稳定同位素比率、优势行为和任务表现（觅食，如在巢上花费的时间所示）。我们使用社交网络分析来量化具有发育和未发育（丝状）卵巢的女性之间的社会地位差异。优势雌性在巢穴上花费的时间更多，并且比从属雌性显着更富含 δ15N。这些数据支持优势营养假说：成人行为和能量消耗，以及获得以动物为基础的饮食，对应于女性生殖生理，并可能在成年阶段的种姓决定中发挥作用。在动物社会群体中，对资源的不同获取会影响繁殖成功率的差异。这可能会影响真社会殖民地的种姓决定，生殖任务在雌性种姓之间分配，一个（或多个）能够产卵并由不育工人帮助的女王（或多个女王）。某些社会膜翅目的雌性不育工人和繁殖体在成年出现时在形态上相似，这表明成年经历可能会影响种姓地位。我们通过测试优势营养假说的预测，询问 Mischocyttarus pallidiectus 纸黄蜂的营养生理学模式是否与成年阶段的种姓决定相匹配，该假说指出成人营养和任务的能量成本通过行为和生理变化影响生殖女性的发育。某些社会膜翅目的雌性不育工人和繁殖体在成年出现时在形态上相似，这表明成年经历可能会影响种姓地位。我们通过测试优势营养假说的预测，询问 Mischocyttarus pallidiectus 纸黄蜂的营养生理学模式是否与成年阶段的种姓决定相匹配，该假说指出成人营养和任务的能量成本通过行为和生理变化影响生殖女性的发育。某些社会膜翅目的雌性不育工人和繁殖体在成年出现时在形态上相似，这表明成年经历可能会影响种姓地位。我们通过测试优势营养假说的预测，询问 Mischocyttarus pallidiectus 纸黄蜂的营养生理学模式是否与成年阶段的种姓决定相匹配，该假说指出成人营养和任务的能量成本通过行为和生理变化影响生殖女性的发育。