Which individuals survive the annual winter cycle in a yellowjacket colony?
Answer
The fertilized queen and the new queens and males
Yellowjacket social organization follows a strictly annual cycle in temperate regions, contrasting sharply with the perennial colonies maintained by groups like ants or honey bees. In this system, the colony structure, including the old queen and all non-reproductive workers, perishes before the onset of the first hard freeze of winter. The continuation of the species relies solely on the newly emerged, fertilized queens and the males that successfully mated. These reproductive individuals are the only ones equipped to survive the cold period and initiate the formation of a new, solitary colony the following spring, as the single foundress queen begins the process anew.
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