Navigation Links
Taking a bite out of a fellow worker helps wasps recruit new foragers

If you think you've got a bad boss, one who loves to chew people out, or if you work with backstabbing co-workers, be thankful you are not a wasp.

If you were, chances are your nestmates might bite you to communicate that it is time to leave the nest and forage for the colony, according to research by a University of Washington animal behaviorist. Biting is a way that workers in a colony of the social wasp Polybia occidentalis recruit new foragers to gather water, food and building material in a time of need, said Sean O'Donnell, a UW associate professor of psychology.

O'Donnell previously found that biting appears to be an important way of regulating the division of labor among these insects. Now, in the current issue of the journal Animal Behaviour, he describes an experiment in which he artificially removed active foragers from four wasp colonies to see how new foragers are recruited.

He found that biting was directed at certain individuals, who previously hadn't left the nest, to induce them to begin foraging. The rate of being bitten increased by an average of 600 percent for these recruited foragers, while biting rates did not increase for other workers.

"The fact that biting was specifically directed at recruited foragers shows that biting is the mechanism that the colonies used to activate new foragers," said O'Donnell. "With no water, food and building material coming in to the nest, the colonies needed to ramp up their foraging workforce. This study shows that these biting interactions play a central role in recruiting foragers and that biting has a role in communication that affects task performance in a colony."

To study the wasps, O'Donnell first collected and anesthetized an average of about 300 workers from each of the colonies. He then marked each wasp's thorax with a color-coded system that made it possible to identify individuals and returned the insects to their nests. A day later, all foragers returni
'"/>

Source:University of Washington


Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. HIV Patients May Be at Risk of Heart Problems When Taking Protease Inhibitor Drugs
2. Taking Aim With Nanoparticle PEBBLEs
3. Taking the piste out of Alpine vegetation
4. Taking a flying jump
5. Taking evolutions temperature: Researchers pinpoint the energy it takes to make a species
6. Taking the wrinkles out of motoneuronal disease
7. Taking chips to the next level of gene hunting
8. Cancer vaccines -- Taking a jab at cancer by stimulating the immune system
9. Scalpel-free surgery could reduce risk of HIV and hepatitis exposure for health care workers
10. Why were the HIV prevention trials in commercial sex workers abandoned?
11. Agricultural workers at increased risk for infection with animal flu viruses
Post Your Comments:
(Date:7/24/2008)... Irvine, Calif., July 24, 2008 Adult stem cells o...commonly believed, and with proper stimulation the...t to disease or injury, a study by UC Irvine scien...the true stem cells in the mammalian brain are the...rain and spinal cord, rather than cells in the sub...
(Date:7/24/2008)...Irvine, Calif. UC Irvine researchers have found a... body clock and metabolism. The discovery reveals...obesity and other related diseases. , Paolo Sass...armacology, and his colleagues have identified tha... the body,s circadian rhythms, works in balance wi...
(Date:7/24/2008)...AMES and IOWA CITY, Iowa The University of Iowa a...es to significantly enhance both institutions, gen...ns have each purchased a massively parallel DNA se...sequences at the rate of millions to billions of b...unique advantages will be available on a fee-for-...
(Date:7/23/2008)...nverting livestock manure into a domestic renewabl... meet up to three per cent of North America,s enti...uction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), accordi...ly, in the Institute of Physics, Environmental Re...: The Energy and Emissions Benefits of Converting ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Adult stem cells activated in mammalian brain 2Adult stem cells activated in mammalian brain 3Circadian rhythm-metabolism link discovered 2UI and ISU establish shared DNA sequencing instrumentation 2UI and ISU establish shared DNA sequencing instrumentation 3Cow power could generate electricity for millions 2Favrille Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End 2007 Financial Results 3361 1Favrille Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End 2007 Financial Results 3361 2Favrille Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End 2007 Financial Results 3361 3Favrille Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End 2007 Financial Results 3361 4Favrille Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End 2007 Financial Results 3361 5Favrille Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End 2007 Financial Results 3361 6Favrille Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End 2007 Financial Results 3361 7Favrille Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End 2007 Financial Results 3361 8Favrille Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End 2007 Financial Results 3361 9Hey Boomers Heres to Your Health 21 12185 1Hey Boomers Heres to Your Health 21 12185 2Hey Boomers Heres to Your Health 21 12185 3Hey Boomers Heres to Your Health 21 12185 4Hey Boomers Heres to Your Health 21 12185 5Columbus Regional Hospital Selects TransUnions Healthcare Revenue Cycle Platform to Improve Its Emergency Departments Registration Process and Reduce 12183 1Columbus Regional Hospital Selects TransUnions Healthcare Revenue Cycle Platform to Improve Its Emergency Departments Registration Process and Reduce 12183 2Columbus Regional Hospital Selects TransUnions Healthcare Revenue Cycle Platform to Improve Its Emergency Departments Registration Process and Reduce 12183 3Dr Carolyn Jacob Hires Empower Public Relations 12182 1Dr Carolyn Jacob Hires Empower Public Relations 12182 2
...ck,s horticultural research arm Warwick HRI have c...t DNA that will provide a massive boost to the wor...libraries is the largest of its type in the world ...e. , The Warwick researchers have set up a new spi...ited" to develop this powerful new resource for pl...
...apy for breast cancer , A team from the Universit...t by using a cancer vaccine based on the bacterium...stablished breast tumors. Cancer vaccines, which a...by boosting an immune response against tumor-assoc..., led by Yvonne Paterson, PhD, Professor of Microb...
...y biologists at New York University,s Center for C...ith researchers at Harvard University, the Max Pla...ut a preliminary molecular diagram of the early st...ime a global look at how a single cell begins its ...are reported in the August 11 issue of the journal...
...increases blood pressure by activating tiny pores,... levels of sodium to be reabsorbed into the blood,...e found. The findings shed light on the underlying...help explain why patients with hypertension linked...ements in order to keep their high blood pressure ...
Other Biology News:New plant DNA libraries provides massive boost to world's plant researchers 2Breast tumors in mice eradicated using cancer vaccine 2Breast tumors in mice eradicated using cancer vaccine 3NYU biologists map out early stages of embryo formation 2Enzyme affects hypertension by controlling salt levels in body 2Enzyme affects hypertension by controlling salt levels in body 3
(Date:7/24/2008)...re/ -- The Global Probiotics Council,(GPC), a comm...ult Honsha,Co., Ltd., announced the two awardees w...rant for Probiotics Research (YIGPRO) today. The p...who will continue to contribute to,the advancement...United,States., Ajay S. Gulati, MD, an Assistant ...
(Date:7/24/2008)... Important Advance in Radiofrequency ...if., July 24 /- PEAK Surgical, Inc., ...tissue dissection system,based on a proprietary te...rug Administration has granted the company 510(k) ... use in general surgery. The PEAK Surgery System,c...
(Date:7/24/2008)...ire/ -- Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,a privately-...nced that it,has launched ceftazidime for injectio...m antibiotic. Sagent will offer ceftazidime in 1,a...ge vials. According to,IMS data, 2007 sales of inj...ximately $45.7 million., "Sagent is proud to be p...
(Date:7/24/2008)...swire-FirstCall/ -- United,Therapeutics Corporatio...lease its 2008 second quarter financial results be...., United Therapeutics will host a half-hour tele.... Eastern Time. The teleconference is accessible,b...rs dialing,1-706-679-8129. A rebroadcast of the te...
Breaking Biology Technology:Global Probiotics Council Announces First Awardees for New Young Investigator Grant for Probiotics Research 2Global Probiotics Council Announces First Awardees for New Young Investigator Grant for Probiotics Research 3Global Probiotics Council Announces First Awardees for New Young Investigator Grant for Probiotics Research 4PEAK Surgical Receives 510(k) Clearance to Market PEAK(R) Surgery System for Use in General Surgery 2PEAK Surgical Receives 510(k) Clearance to Market PEAK(R) Surgery System for Use in General Surgery 3PEAK Surgical Receives 510(k) Clearance to Market PEAK(R) Surgery System for Use in General Surgery 4Sagent Pharmaceuticals Launches Ceftazidime for Injection, USP 2
... Madison, Wis. - The next generation of high-perf...on crystals, according to engineering researchers ...hese are no ordinary crystals. Teams of scientists...s in the making, are examining a material called ...romechanical systems into which it could be integr...
... M adison, Wis. - Recently, as I sat at lunc... couldn,t help but reflect on how our professional...opinion, for the better. , ,As the CEO of a compa...ication technology and on-demand knowledge, I rema... continues to transform and enhance our profession...
... Madison, Wis. - Wisconsin-based high-tech startu...m some relatively far-flung investors. The most re...C , a company that is developing laboratory tools ...ntiation. , ,Primorigen, a developer of protein ta...cts, will use a pair of investments totaling $2.45...
... West Allis, Wis. - The exodus continues at Merg...ging software developer, which does business as Me...written notification from counsel" to Brian E. Ped...ident of Merge subsidiary Cedara Software , of Pe...g. 18. , ,Pedlar is the fifth executive to leave t...
Other Biology Technology:Nano-diamond film studied at UW could advance telecommunications 2Nano-diamond film studied at UW could advance telecommunications 3Visions: Rimas Buinevicius, CEO of Sonic Foundry 2Visions: Rimas Buinevicius, CEO of Sonic Foundry 3Wisconsin start up Primorigen Biosciences corrals out-of-state investment 2Pedlar the latest executive to leave Merge 2
The Trans-Blot Plus gel and cassette assembly tray is used to hold the Trans-Blot Plus gel holder cassette, buffer, and other materials for the gel and membrane sandwich during their assembly.
The Model 111 mini IEF cell is an apparatus dedicated to general analytical isoelectric focusing (IEF) using polyacrylamide or agarose slab gels. The cell includes the electrophoresis chamber and lid
...k FXP is the latest entry in the Biomek line. With...ional accuracy and increased robustness, it can me... be configured with either one or two pipetting po...ets the standard for flexible laboratory solutions...
...rating a wide range of next-generation features in...standard for flexible laboratory solutions. It put...ting, dilution, dispensing, and integrations into...flexible as it is efficient and economical. The Bi...
Biology Products: