 Polistes exclamans exhibit an alarm response , typical of many higher level eusocial Hymenoptera . Although it has been previously indicated that nest mates may alarm the rest of the nest through jerky movement and buzzing of wings , Polistes exclamans is capable of alarming the rest of the nest and attracting attacking wasps through chemical means by releasing a non @-@ species @-@ specific venomous alarm pheromone . Although a chemical signal to warn against attack would be evolutionarily adaptive , the Polistes exclamans only releases a response post the initial attack from and on the predator , as the venom is only released during the sting . This venom is capable of warning and coordinating a response from the nest and attracting nearby heterospecific or conspecific females from nearby colonies to attack the predator . This helps deter the predator from further attacking and is especially adaptive for the defense of the nest . Although certain other insects have been able to adapt the release of the pheromone to other means of communicating alarm , Polistes exclamans has yet to do so , indicating that it is still in its “ primitive state in evolution of the complex systems of communication of alarm seen in higher social insects . ” In one experiment , pheromones were extracted from female glands and sacs and were spread onto venom paper . It was then found that females were attracted upwind of the venom paper and some even attempted to sting it . This also had a heterospecific response where others also reacted to it . While it was found that one wasp couldn ’ t release enough pheromones to elicit a response , if many individuals were alarmed they would elicit a response from the rest of the nest . However , this scent is not strong enough to reach other nests , and so neighboring nests must be alarmed by physical movements and wing flapping . 
