Polistine wasps

Bonavita-Cougourdan, A., Theraulaz, G., Bagneres, A.-G., Roux, M Pratte, M Provost, E. and Clement, J.-L. (1991). Cuticular hydrocarbons, social organization and ovarian development in a polistine wasp Polistes dominulus Christ. Comp. Biochem. Physiol., 100B, 667-680. 

Sledge, M.F., Trinca, I., Massolo, A., Boscaro, F. and Turillazzi, S. (2004). Variation in cuticular hydrocarbon signatures, hormonal correlates and establishment of reproductive dominance in a polistine wasp../. Insect Physiol., 50, 73-83. 

The excellent book of Schmidt-Hempel (1998) describes the large variety of parasites that infest social insects. Various orders of insect (Lepidoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, non-social Hymenoptera) and arachnid (Chelicerate Arachnids Aranea, Acari) parasites use chemical mimicry to manipulate social insect hosts, i.e., ants, bees and termites. Strangely, our perusal of the literature found no references describing this type of chemical interaction in social wasps, even though they are often parasitized by various macroparasites as well as other social insects from the same family, e.g. polistine wasps (see later). However, we found many references describing chemical manipulation by parasites of social hymenoptera and isoptera. 

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