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Evidence for an alarm substance inPolistes canadensis

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Summary

In this tropical social wasp the odor of venom elicits an alarm response, reduces the threshold for attack, and acts as an attractant. Attack is released visually; dark colored objects were shown to be more effective releasers than were moving objects.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, University of wisconsin, 53706, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

    R. L. Jeanne

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  1. R. L. Jeanne
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Additional information

Acknowledgments. I thank M. Raveret for helpful discussion and J.R. Baylis, H.E. Evans, B.J. Harrington, and J. Hunt for critically reading the manuscript. R. Nordheim provided statistical advice. Supported by College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin. Madison, and National Science Foundation grant BNS 77-04081.

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Jeanne, R.L. Evidence for an alarm substance inPolistes canadensis. Experientia 38, 329–330 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01949373

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