Infanticide bij de tropische veldwesp Ropalidia marginata volgens het scenario van ‘Wie is de mol?’

Infanticide is a widespread phenomenon throughout the animal world. Definition and different types of infanticide are stated with some examples. Special references were made to some observations in solitary and eusocial Hymenoptera. Filial infanticide towards six mature larvae in the cocoon was observed in a small captive colony of Ropalidia marginata originating from Kandy, Sri Lanka. The killing was likely be done by a single female/worker. Other nest mates did not resist against the repetitively destructive behaviour towards the brood. Young larvae and eggs were obviously no targets of the process of infanticide. After the killing new eggs were deposited in the empty brood cells. These were probably laid by the killer worker representing a gain in selfish fitness in this way. The strategy of the killer worker looks like very much of that of the reality television game show The Mole in which the players work together to complete a defined challenge (expressed not in terms of fitness, but in an amount of money), but one initial contributer undermines the activities of the group in favour of himself (and the producers of the game).