Dominance hierarchy in different stages of development in colonies of the primitively eusocial wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus styx (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)

In primitively eusocial insect societies, reproductive division of labor is established by dominance-submission interactions which determine a linear dominance hierarchy. As previously observed for other species, in Mischocyt tarus cerberus styx (Hymenoptera, Vespidae), the dominant female is the mai n egg layer. Most of her attacks were to the females directly beneath in th e rank establishing a hierarchy. During the pre-emergence stage, the hierar chy was already defined and in the post-emergence stage, pre-male substage, the frequency of dominance interactions were strong but the hierarchy was still maintained by the first-ranked female. In the decline stage there wer e many neutral individuals which could be the reproductives of a new colony .