POLISTES BIGLUMIS BIMACULATUS EPICUTICULAR HYDROCARBONS AND NESTMATE RECOGNITION (HYMENOPTERA, VESPIDAE)

An experimental analysis was conducted to determine if chemicals from the cuticle of a social wasp are used in nestmate recognition. These c hemicals were also subsequently identified. Laboratory colonies of Pol istes biglumis bimaculatus were presented with (1) dead nestmates and dead non-nestmates, (2) dead nestmates and dead non-nestmates that wer e subjected to solvent-washing to eliminate epicuticular compounds and (3) dead nestmates and dead non-nestmates that were treated again wit h extracts of nestmates or non-nestmates. Behavioural responses (accep tance or rejection of introduced wasps) by colony residents showed tha t they were able to discriminate between dead nestmates and dead non-n estmates and that they used epicuticular substances to perform the dis crimination process. The GC-MS analyses of the epicuticular compounds showed that they consisted of a blend of hydrocarbons. Multivariate an alysis of individual hydrocarbon profiles of wasps from different colo nies showed that colonies had distinct hydrocarbon profiles.