Thermoregulation of water foraging wasps (Vespula vulgaris and Polistes dominulus)

A comparison of the thermoregulation of water foraging wasps (Vespula vulgaris, Polistes dominulus) under special consideration of ambient temperature and solar radiation was conducted. The body surface temperature of living and dead wasps was measured by infrared thermography under natural conditions in their environment without disturbing the insects’ behaviour. The body temperature of both of them was positively correlated with Ta and solar radiation. At moderate Ta (22–28 °C) the regression lines revealed mean thorax temperatures (Tth) of 35.5–37.5 °C in Vespula, and of 28.6–33.7 °C in Polistes. At high Ta (30–39 °C) Tth was 37.2–40.6 °C in Vespula and 37.0–40.8 °C in Polistes. The thorax temperature excess (Tth–Ta) increased at moderate Ta by 1.9 °C (Vespula) and 4.4 °C (Polistes) per kW−1 m−2. At high Ta it increased by 4.0 °C per kW−1 m−2 in both wasps. A comparison of the living water foraging Vespula and Polistes with dead wasps revealed a great difference in their thermoregulatory behaviour. At moderate Ta (22–28 °C) Vespula exhibited distinct endothermy in contrast to Polistes, which showed only a weak endothermic activity. At high Ta (30–39 °C) Vespula reduced their active heat production, and Polistes were always ectothermic. Both species exhibited an increasing cooling effort with increasing insolation and ambient temperature.