Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) play essential roles in social insects, including water retention, chemical communication, and conspecific recognition. In this study, gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses were used to identify the CHC profiles of six social wasp species from the Brazilian Amazon: Agelaia pallipes (Olivier, 1792), Apoica pallida (Olivier, 1792), Brachygastra augusti (de Saussure, 1854), Polistes canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758), Polybia rejecta (Fabricius, 1798), and Synoeca surinama (Linnaeus, 1767). The species differed in their CHC composition, ranging from five compounds in P. rejecta to 17 in A. pallida, with the total number of identified compounds varying between seven and 21, respectively. The predominant compounds found in the samples were alkanes, alkenes, and particular compounds like n-heptacosane, n-nonacosane, and cis-vaccenic acid, suggesting roles in water retention and colony member recognition. The wasps also exhibited fatty acids and esters, which may be related to communication and defense. Additionally, the presence of six unidentified compounds indicates the existence of bioactive substances that require further investigation. This study broadens our understanding of the chemical diversity of CHCs in social wasps and their potential ecological and behavioral functions.
