▪ Abstract Wasps (Vespidae) exhibit a range of social complexity, from solitary living to
eusocial colonies, and thus are exemplary for studies of the evolutionary origin and …

This book analyzes for the first time how parasites shape the biology of social insects: the
ants, wasps, bees, and termites. Paul Schmid-Hempel provides an overview of the existing …

We describe more precise definitions for the term “eusociality” and other social systems. Our
criterion for eusociality is the presence of castes, which are groups of individuals that …

T he terminology and con-ceptual base that has guided the work of sociobiologists for the
past three decades has recently become a center of interest and contention. At particular …

The broad limits of mature colony size in social insect species are likely to be set by
ecological factors. However, any change in colony size has a number of important social …

Eusocial societies are traditionally characterized by a reproductive division of labor, an
overlap of generations, and cooperative care of the breeders' young. Eusociality was once …

In this book, the biologist Raghavendra Gadagkar focuses on the single species he has
worked on throughout his career. Found throughout southern India, Ropalidia marginata is a …

The wasp family Vespidae comprises more than 5000 described species which represent
life history strategies ranging from solitary and presocial to eusocial and socially parasitic …

The range of extant nest architectures for different types of solitary to social insects as well
as the key features in their architecture has assisted in the identification of their structures in …

Adhesive devices are used by arthropods not only in terrestrial locomotion but also in prey
capture and predator defence. We argue that the physical mechanisms involved in both …