Queen brood reared in worker cells by the social wasp, Vespula germanica (F.) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

The rearing of queen brood from worker cells in the nests ofVespula germanica (F.) in Australia was found at all stages of the colony cycle from early summer to autumn. Worker cells used to rear queens were 17% wider at their open ends than cells used for worker production, and in all other respects their dimensions were greater. The volume of a worker cell used for queen nearing was 21% larger than cells used for rearing workers but half the volume of a normal queen cell. Queen pupae reared in worker cells were significantly smaller than those reared in queen cells of the same nest. The spatial distribution of queen pupae in worker comb tended to be random although some evidence of nonrandom clustering was noted.