The Social Biology of Wasps

This book is an introduction to and overview of our present knowledge
of wasp social biology. Social wasps are important model organisms for
the  study  of  the  evolution  of  social  behavior,  yet  no  comprehensive
survey  of  wasp  social  biology  has  appeared  since  Evans  and West-
Eberhard  (1970)  and Spradbery  (1973a)  published  their major reviews,
a  period during which our understanding of  these  organisms has ad-
vanced  considerably.  The  publication  of  this ·volume  not  only  fills  a
perceived  need  for  a  review  of  these  advances but also  complements
the  recent  appearance  of major  reviews  of  the  social  biology  of  bees
(Seeley  1985,  Winston  1987,  Roubik  1989)  and  ants  (Holldobler  and
Wilson 1990),  the two other groups of social Hymenoptera.