1. In Polistes chinensis antennalis Perez the emergence of the newly hatched larvae may be the limiting factor to the rate of cell construction of the founding female. The increase in cell numbers of the nest may be stopped or extremely inhibited by the appearance of the newly hatched larvae. Therefore, there is a direct relation between the duration of the incubation period and the number of cells made by the founding female. The number of cells made by the founding female is generally larger in the nest constructed in a warmer environment than that in a cooler environment, even in case that the nest under observation are of the same age. Once the larvae begin to make cocoons, the increase in the number of cells or the rate of cell construction is again initiated in the warm nests upon which the sun shines, while no cell construction is seen in such nests as constructed in the shade. Thus the fact that the rate of cell construction varies with the nesting-site seems to have a close connection with the environmental condition, especially the temperature. 2. Hatching of the larvae would inhibit the oviposition of the founding female both physiologically and psychologically. 3.Generally speaking, the rate of oviposition increases when the larvae reach the fourth or fifth stages of their lives. Such older larvae are fed with food of rich protein content, and apart of the food is also taken by the founding female. Thus the female becomes well-fed and consequently her activity of oviposition increases. 4. The rate of oviposition of the founding female after the cocooning of the larvae increases in the nest upon which the sun shines, but remains unchanged or decreases in the nest which does not receive sun light at all. This latter case seems to be the result of the joint action of the two factors, viz. decrease of the of the amount of labor due to the decrease in the breeding activity of the founding female and the lower body temperature of the same female in the shady nesting site. 5. The rate of oviposition of the founding female after the emergence of the workers increases gradually with the increase of the workers both in number and activity. The fact that the emergence of the workers tends to occur somewhat periodically may influence the rate of oviposition of the founding female. Therefore, the oviposition of the founding female tends to occur also periodically. 6. Either in the period previous to the emergence of the larvae or after the emergence of the worker caste, the rate of cell construction is general1y similar to that of oviposition, but it is not evident whether the former is correlated with the latter. 7. The rate of oviposition of the founding female is independent of the number of empty cells.
Mendeley出力
