Use of solid-phase microextraction in the investigation of chemical communication in social wasps.

Solid-phase microextraction has been used to investigate chemical communication in several social wasp species. Using the technique to analyse exocrine gland secretions, we demonstrate that the results are comparable with those obtained with the more classical methods that use solvents, eliminating, in many cases, the shortcomings of these methods in insect pheromone analysis. As a result of its simplicity this technique is very suitable for research on the chemical ecology of social wasps, and on insect communication in general.