Geographic and chronographic variations of coloration in population of Polistes gallicus (Linnaeus, 1767) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)

Abstract

The article presents the results of studying geographic and chronographic colour variability of paper wasp Polistes gallicus (Linnaeus, 1767) in Kherson Area of Ukraine in 2004-2005. Colour and pattern variations on clypeus (6), mesonotum (3), the first tergite of abdomen (4) and the second tergite of abdomen (3) were investigated for 1839 wasps (queens and future foundresses). Colour and pattern variations on clypeus and mesonotum of 255 queens collected in May-June 2005 in three places of the Kherson Area (The Black Sea Reserve, Kherson and Khorly) didn’t differ, but colour variations on the first tergite of abdomen were significantly different in those three sites under study. Variability being of a clinal character, this allowed making a conclusion that the wasps of these three sites belonged to one and the same population. A comparison of colour variation frequencies for the Black Sea reserve subpopulation throughout 2004-2005 revealed similarity in clypeus and the first tergite of abdomen and significant differences for queens’ and future foundresses’ mesonotum. A change in colour variation of the population was expressed more significantly in 2004 and had cyclic character. The subpopulation as a whole maintained its stability in those characteristics. A possibility of such variability as a result of some selection factors is discussed.

Keywords

• Polistes gallicus
• colour polymorphism
• geographic and chronographic variations
• colony
• population