Queenless wasp colonies explode into chaos but hidden helpers save them

Losing a queen throws a tropical wasp colony into turmoil, triggering violent power struggles and social breakdowns. But new research led by UCL scientists found that some wasps quietly step in to keep the colony functioning during the chaos. The study, published in Animal Behaviour , examined tropical paper wasps ( Polistes canadensis ) in the Caribbean.

These colonies are built around a single dominant breeding female, but unlike some social insects, the other females are still capable of reproducing themselves. That means if the queen disappears, several wasps may compete to take her place. To investigate what happens after a queen is lost, researchers removed queens from established colonies and watched how the insects responded. Violent Fights Break Out After the Queen Disappears The effects were immediate. Female wasps began aggressively competing for dominance, and the colony's normal social structure quickly unraveled. Instead of an orderly transfer of leadership, the colonies entered a period of intense conflict involving many individuals. Despite the upheaval, the colonies did not collapse. Researchers discovered that a separate group of wasps took on a crucial role during the unrest. Rather than joining the fights, these individuals focused on essential tasks such as collecting food and caring for developing young. The scientists called these wasps "compensators" because they helped offset the damage caused by the conflict. By continuing to feed larvae and maintain daily colony functions, the compensators helped the society survive even while leadership battles were unfolding around them. The study found no clear biological differences between the wasps involved in aggressive competition and those acting as compensators.

Key points

• These colonies are built around a single dominant breeding female, but unlike some social insects, the other females are still capable of reproducing themselves.
• That means if the queen disappears, several wasps may compete to take her place.
• To investigate what happens after a queen is lost, researchers removed queens from established colonies and watched how the insects responded.
• Violent Fights Break Out After the Queen Disappears The effects were immediate.
• Female wasps began aggressively competing for dominance, and the colony's normal social structure quickly unraveled.