The Evolution of Social Behaviour in Insects and the Hover Wasps

Abstract

This final chapter is divided into two parts. The first section gives a concise picture of sociality in insects and the hypotheses which try to explain the evolution of social behaviour in these organisms. In the second part, I deal with the characteristics of sociality in Hover Wasps and the possible particular route to sociality these wasps have followed. My arguments are especially focused on the role of the larval component, the high behavioural flexibility of individuals and the determinant role of environmental factors as social inductors. The chapter ends with a paragraph dedicated to possible future studies on Hover Wasps.