Alarm response to venom by social waspsPolistes exclamans andP. fuscatus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae).

The venoms ofPolistes exclamans andP. fuscatus elicit alarm behavior and attract attacking wasps. The response is not species specific, for both hetero- and conspecific venoms elicit similar responses in both species. A test in a wind tunnel provided no support for the hypothesis that alarmed wasps release an alarm pheromone on the nest.