Rusina L.Yu.1, Gilyov A.V.2, Firman L.A.1, Pekanova I.A.3, Orlova E.S.1 2011. Dynamic stability of phenotypic variation in Polistes wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) // Russian Entomol. J. Vol.20. No.3: 321–326 [in English].

1 Kherson State University, Kherson, Ukraine. E-mail: lirusina@yandex.ru

2 Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russia.

3 Ural State University, Ekaterinburg, Russia.

Key words: Polistes dominula, Polistes gallicus, Polistes nimpha, chronological variation, melanine pattern polymorphism, population, colony, Black Sea Biosphere Reserve, Trans-Urals.

Abstract. The present paper analyzes chronological variation of melanine patterns in Polistes dominula (Christ) and P. gallicus (Linnaeus) wasps in the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve in the Kherson Region (Ukraine) in 2003–2006, and that of P. nimpha (Christ) in the Kherson Region and in the Trans-Urals (the Kurgan Region, Russia) in 2006–2008. We have examined variation of coloration patterns of the clypeus, mesoscutum, and first metasomal tergite in 4426, 1804, and 559 foundresses and future foundresses of P. dominula, P. gallicus and P. nimpha respectively. Seasonal changes in the phenotypic variation within populations were more obvious during certain years. Due to mainly cyclic nature of those changes, the examined populations retained their general phenotypic traits. Variation patterns of that kind are likely to be created by certain types of selection.

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