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Technique for rearing the European hornet (Vespa crabro) through an entire colony life cycle in captivity

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Summary:

Laboratory rearing of wasps was studied in the European hornet Vespa crabro. Males (N = 10) and gynes (N = 13) were obtained from two field-caught colonies. Mating took place in cages (mean number of 1.31 ± 0.63 matings per gyne) and overwintering in a cool room at 10 °C. Five gynes survived and one queen successfully established a nest that produced sexuals. This is first time that the entire colony life cycle of V. crabro has occurred in captivity. The technique will be useful in vespine research as well as in conservation and breeding programs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa, e-mail: p.neumann@.ru.ac.za , , , , , , ZA

    W.R.E. Hoffmann & P. Neumann

  2. Institut für Zoologie, FU Berlin, Königin-Luise Strasse 1-3, D-14195 Berlin, Germany, e-mail: eschmolz@zedat.fu-berlin.de , , , , , , DE

    E. Schmolz

Authors
  1. W.R.E. Hoffmann
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  2. P. Neumann
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  3. E. Schmolz
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Received 7 February 2000; revised 30 May 2000; accepted 28 June 2000.

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Hoffmann, W., Neumann, P. & Schmolz, E. Technique for rearing the European hornet (Vespa crabro) through an entire colony life cycle in captivity. Insectes soc. 47, 351–353 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00001729

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00001729

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