Meeting Abstract
Chemical communication is used to coordinate the behavior of individuals in insect societies. While the semiochemicals and chemoreceptors of honeybees and multiple ant species have been studied using molecular methods, few studies have examined the genetic basis of chemoreception in the primitively eusocial wasp genus Polistes. Paper wasps are a fitting model system for studies of comparative sociogenomics because many species share similar ecologies while exhibiting divergent social systems. We perform de novo genome sequencing and chemoreceptor gene annotation in multiple Polistes species and in Mischocyttarus mexicanus. Next, we examine rates and patterns of evolution of genes encoding odorant receptors (Ors), gustatory receptors (Grs), and ionotropic glutamate receptors (Irs). We compare our findings in Polistes to trends in other social insects.
