NON-ALLOMETRIC CASTE DIFFERENCES IN AGELAIA-VICINA (HYMENOPTERA, VESPIDAE, EPIPONINI)

Non-allometric and clear-cut caste dimorphism were found in two coloni es of the social wasp Agelaia vicina. Such type of allometry was previ ously recorded in the Epiponini and its origin is pre-imaginally deter mined as in the other analysed species which present caste dimorphism. Multivariate analyses evidenced that the most intercastes discriminan t characters were found in the metasoma and mesosoma while head differ ences were slight. Although queens were characterized by marked ovary development and insemination, the presence of some uninseminated queen s was detected in one of the analysed colonies.