dominula to have a shortened brood developmental time. Generalist diet P. dominula has a more generalist diet than many other Polistes species, giving it a more flexible selection of prey. One study in Europe found that the prey items brought back to nests by P. dominula colonies represented three insect orders while in contrast, North American Polistes primarily only use caterpillars to feed their offspring. Some other theories, however, suggested not that individuals have a more general diet, but that the response of colonies may be more opportunistic relative to resources. For example, P. dominula uses more workers to increase the amount of foraging, use eggs to feed the offspring, and reduce allocation of protein to nest construction to take advantage of poorer quality prey during periods of low prey availability. In Kentucky, P. dominula has been observed hunting Monarch butterfly caterpillars. Strong defense against predation Another strength of P. dominula in terms of survival rate is their ability to suffer less nest predation than other Polistes. P. dominula is a less attractive prey for birds mainly due to its aposematic coloration and the relatively strong attachment of the comb to the substrate – typically tree branches or man-made structures. Unlike P. fuscatus, which is colored brown with a few faint, thin, yellow stripes, P. dominula is colored bright yellow with alternating black, similar to the warning coloration of Vespula germanica, a common and aggressive yellowjacket. In addition to their alerting coloration, P. dominula comb strength also contributes to their higher chance of survival. P. dominula might have an advantage over P. fuscatus against avian predators because their combs are less likely to be dislodged from the substrate by birds because the side force required to dislodge it is greater for P. dominula than for P. fuscatus combs. Dominance hierarchy Caste system Hierarchies in social insects serve two functions: to allow a single reproducing individual to emerge, and to enable the progressive exclusion of nonreproducing individuals from the nest space. Morphologically, few differences are seen between the foundress and subordinate members of the colony. However, behavioral differentiation does occur, with the role an individual female takes being determined by social interaction within the colony. Dominant females, also known as the queens, are the principal egg-layers. Queens occupy the nest, oviposit, and rarely forage. In comparison, auxiliaries (the workers), or subordinate females, primarily forage and do not lay eggs. Autumnal helpers