| Abstract The social wasps have a remarkable system of organization in which chemical communication mediate different behavioral interactions. Among the compounds involved in this process, cuticular hydrocarbons are considered the main signals for nestmate recognition, caste differentiation, and fertility communication. The aims of this study were to describe the cuticular chemical compounds of the species Mischocyttarus consimilis, Mischocyttarus bertonii, and Mischocyttarus latior, and to test whether these chemical compounds could be used to evaluate differences and similarities between Mischocyttarus species, using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Workers from these three species presented a variety of hydrocarbons ranging from... |
