ISSN:
1573-1561
Keywords:
Polistes metricus
;
Hymenoptera
;
Vespidae
;
cuticular hydrocarbons
;
discriminant analysis
;
nestmate recognition
;
social wasps
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
Notes:
Abstract The cuticular lipids ofPolistes metricus queens, workers and males from seven laboratory-maintained colonies were extracted and analyzed by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Males had higher proportions of alkenes (20.5%) in their cuticular lipids than did queens (2.3%) or workers (7.7%). Discriminant analyses of the cuticular lipid profiles of the adult wasps showed that males group separately from females. Additional analyses showed that queens group with their respective workers by colony and that queens group even more closely with males by colony. The most distinct groupings occurred with workers only by colony and with males only by colony. Stepwise discriminant analyses showed that each type of grouping was dependent upon a different combination of cuticular lipids.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02033205
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