Abstract
Predators use olfactory, visual and sometimes acoustic cues from the preys to assess food information. However, it is not known if the aggressive hornets (Vespa spp.) use olfactory, visual, or both types of information to find and recognize prey. In the present study, we trained hornet workers (Vespa velutina) to a feeding area. Once the hornets began consistently foraging at this feeding area, we determined whether they located prey (bees, Apis cerana) via olfactory or visual cues. We did this by testing whether hornets were attracted to a dummy bait (bee dummy bait or non-bee dummy bait) treated with extracts of honeybee cuticular hydrocarbons. We then tested whether hornets could distinguish between bee dummy bait and cotton ball dummy bait, both treated with bee odors. Hornets preferred the dummy treated with bee odors, and bee dummies (with bee images) were more attractive to the hornet than the cotton ball dummies with only bee odors. These results clearly indicate that a combination of olfactory and visual cues helps the hornet to locate its prey.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anton S. and Gnatzy W. 1998. Prey specificity and the importance of close-range chemical cues in prey recognition in the digger wasp, Liris niger. J. Insect Behav. 11: 671-690
Breed M., Perry S. and Bjostad L. 2004a. Testing the blank slate hypothesis: why honey bee colonies accept young bees. Insect. Soc. 51: 12-16
Breed M.D., Guzmán-Novoa E. and Hunt G.J. 2004b. Defensive behavior of honey bees: organization, genetics, and comparisons with other bees. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 49: 271-298
D’adamo P., Lozada M. and Corley J. 2003. Conspecifics enhance attraction of Vespula germanica (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) foragers to food baits. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 96: 685-688
Day S.E. and Jeanne R.L. 2001. Food volatiles as attractants for yellowjackets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Environ. Entomol. 30: 157-165
Herzner G., Schmitt T., Linsenmair K.E. and Strohm E. 2005. Prey recognition by females of the European beewolf and its potential for a sensory trap. Anim. Behavr. 70: 1411-1418
Leonhardt S., Zeilhofer S., Blüthgen N. and Schmitt T. 2010. Stingless bees use terpenes as olfactory cues to find resin sources. Chem. Sens. 35: 603-611
Li J., Tan K. and He S. 2008. Hornet predation risk: apperception and response by honey bees. J. Apicult. Res. Bee World. 47: 174-175
McPheron L.J. and Mills N.J. 2007. Influence of visual and olfactory cues on the foraging behavior of the paper wasp Mischocyttarus flavitarsis (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Entomol. Gen. 30: 105-118
Monceau K., Arca M., Leprêtre L., Mougel F., Bonnard O., Silvain J.-F., Maher N., Arnold G. and Thiéry D. 2013a. Native prey and invasive predator patterns of foraging activity: the case of the yellow-legged hornet predation at European honeybee hives. PLoS One 8: e66492
Monceau K., Maher N., Bonnard O. and Thiéry D. 2013b. Predation pressure dynamics study of the recently introduced honeybee killer Vespa velutina: learning from the enemy. Apidologie 44: 209-221
Ono M. 2006. Defensive strategy of yellow hornet against predation by giant hornet. Proc. 15th Int. Congr. IUSSI. p 233
Ono M., Igarashi T., Ohno E. and Sasaki M. 1995. Unusual thermal defence by a honeybee against mass attack by hornets. Nature 377: 334-336
Perrard A., Haxaire J., Rortais A. and Villemant C. 2009. Observations on the colony activity of the Asian hornet Vespa velutina Lepeletier 1836 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Vespinae) in France. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 45: 119-127
Richter M.R. and Jeanne R.L. 1985. Predatory behavior of Polybia sericea (Olivier), a tropical social wasp (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 16: 165-170
Tan K., Wang Z., Chen W., Hu Z. and Oldroyd B.P. 2013. The ‘I see you’ prey-predator signal of Apis cerana is innate. Naturwissenschaften doi: 10.1007/s00114-013-1019-4
Tan K., Wang Z., Li H., Yang S., Hu Z., Kastberger G. and Oldroyd B.P. 2012. An ‘I see you’ prey-predator signal between the Asian honeybee, Apis cerana, and the hornet, Vespa velutina. Anim. Behav. 83: 879-882
Toh Y. and Okamura J. 2003. Foraging navigation of hornets studied in natural habitats and laboratory experiments. Zool. Sci. 20: 311-324
Uma D.B. and Weiss M.R. 2010. Chemical mediation of prey recognition by spider-hunting wasps. Ethology 116: 85-95
Acknowledgments
We thank Dr. Tanya Latty for her kind statistic help. We also would like to thank one reviewer Dr. D. Thiéry and another anonymous reviewer for their valuable comments on this manuscript, Dr. James Nieh for his careful English polishing. This work was supported by grants from the Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, and the CAS 135 program (XTBG-T01) of Chinese Academy of Science, China National Research Fund (31260585 to Ken Tan) and West Doctor Foundation of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Y02F7311W1 to Gao Chen).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wang, Z.W., Chen, G. & Tan, K. Both olfactory and visual cues promote the hornet Vespa velutina to locate its honeybee prey Apis cerana . Insect. Soc. 61, 67–70 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-013-0326-2
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-013-0326-2