Cuticular hydrocarbons, social organization and ovarian development in a polistine wasp: Polistes dominulus christ

Abstract

1. 1. The cuticular hydrocarbons of the wasp, Polistes dominulus, are linear branched, saturated alkanes, mainly monomethylalkanes. 2. 2. The foundress can be distinguished from her offspring by differences in the relative proportions of some alkanes and monomethylalkanes, which were the same in all the foundresses studied here. The ovarian state is linked to the cuticular spectrum since these constituents were present in similar proportions in a foundress and in a descendant with comparably developed ovaries. 3. 3. In some, but not all cases, it was possible to discriminate between descendants originating from different foundresses on the basis of other hydrocarbons belonging to all the chemical families present. 4. 4. No correlations were observed between the descendants' behavioural profiles and the cuticular hydrocarbon spectra.