English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

The social vespid wasps are common insect predators and several species behave in unison in the same biotopes. It is commonly accepted that social wasps are mainly opportunistic generalist predators without differences in prey selection and hence they compete for the same food resources. Trophic positions of six vespid wasp species and their potential prey from four sites in Finland and one in the UK were evaluated using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes (δ 13 C and δ 15 N). The difference in isotope values indicated different trophic positions among species. In general,  Dolichovespula  spp. showed higher δ 15 N values than  Vespula  spp., which suggests that  Dolichovespula  forage on higher trophic levels.  Dolichovespula media  (Retzius, 1783) showed the highest δ 15 N values, whereas  Vespula vulgaris  showed the lowest.  Dolichovespula media  partly expresses apex predator-like δ 15 N values, whereas  Vespula  species tend to forage on primary consumers. The largest species  Vespa crabro  (Linnaeus, 1758) showed also similar δ 15 N values as  Vespula  spp. However, δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of  V. vulgaris  workers varied slightly during the season. This study offers novel insights about the trophic segregation in the social wasp community, suggesting specialization in diet resource utilization, especially between  Dolichovespula  and  Vespula .

Different trophic positions among social vespid species revealed by stable isotopes