Hornets are social insects living in organized colonies with distinct roles. Understanding their reproductive cycle is fundamental to how these colonies begin and thrive. This process leads to the establishment of new generations and the continuation of their species, culminating in the foundation of new colonies.
Sexual Dimorphism and Reproductive Roles
Hornets exhibit sexual dimorphism, meaning males and females have noticeable physical differences. Female hornets include the fertile queen and typically sterile workers. The queen is the largest female in the colony, responsible for laying all eggs. Worker hornets, smaller than the queen, are also female but do not reproduce. Their role is to support the colony by foraging for food, building and maintaining the nest, and caring for the larvae.
Male hornets, often called drones, are produced later in the season. Their singular purpose is to mate with new queens. Unlike female workers, males do not participate in nest activities, foraging, or caring for the young. After mating, they typically die.
The Mating Process
Hornet mating typically occurs in late summer or early autumn, outside the nest. This period is when new reproductive individuals, both male drones and future queens, emerge from the colony. Males leave their original nests to seek mates, often from other colonies.
The mating flight, sometimes called a nuptial flight, involves these newly emerged males and queens. The general process involves the males locating the receptive females. Once a male finds a queen, copulation takes place. After mating, the male hornet’s life cycle concludes.
Reproduction and Colony Foundation
Following successful mating in the autumn, the newly fertilized queen seeks a sheltered location to overwinter. This can include places like under tree bark, in rotten wood, or within soil, where she remains dormant through the colder months. The original queen, along with all worker hornets and males from the old colony, typically perish as winter sets in.
As spring arrives and temperatures rise, the overwintered queen emerges from her hibernation. She then begins the solitary task of finding a suitable site to establish a new nest. The queen constructs an initial set of cells from chewed wood pulp, laying her first eggs into them. These first eggs hatch and develop into sterile female workers, who then take over the duties of nest expansion and foraging, allowing the queen to focus solely on egg-laying. This cycle of reproduction and new colony foundation ensures the perpetuation of the hornet species.