I review the recent literature on cuticular hydrocarbons (CHs) in Drosophila. First, the major
structural features of CHs are examined in a variety of species with regard to phylogeny. The …

Social insect are profoundly influenced by primer pheromones (PPhs), which are efficient
means for maintaining social harmony in the colony. PPhs act by affecting the physiology of …

A major evolutionary transition to eusociality with reproductive division of labor between
queens and workers has arisen independently at least 10 times in the ants, bees, and …

Chemical messengers are the primary mode of intracolony communication in the majority of
social insect species. Chemically transmitted information plays a major role in nestmate …

Inclusive fitness theory explains how helpers reproduce indirectly via the breeders they help.
The inclusive fitness helpers get depends on their relatedness to the breeder (s), colony …

While chemical communication regulates individual behavior in a wide variety of species,
these communication systems are most elaborated in insect societies. In these complex …

Unlike most desert-dwelling animals, Cataglyphis ants do not attempt to escape the heat;
rather, they apply their impressive heat tolerance to avoid competitors and predators. This …

The social organization of insect colonies indicates the importance of information that is
usually not needed in solitary insects. Information about the presence and fertility of a queen …

The cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) of ants provide important cues for nest‐mate and caste
recognition. There is enormous diversity in the composition of these CHCs, but the manner …

The waxy layer of the cuticle has been shown to play a fundamental role in recognition
systems of insects. The biparental burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides is known to have …