The mason wasp Odynerus spinipes shows an exceptional case of intrasexual cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profile dimorphism. Females of this species display one of two CHC profiles (chemotypes) that differ qualitatively and quantitatively from each other. The ratio of the two chemotypes was previously shown to be close to 1:1 at three sites in Southern Germany, which might not be representative given the Palearctic distribution of the species. To infer the frequency of the two chemotypes across the entire distributional range of the species, we analyzed with GC–MS the CHC profile of 1042 dry-mounted specimens stored in private and museum collections. We complemented our sampling by including 324 samples collected and preserved specifically for studying their CHCs. We were capable of reliably identifying the chemotypes in 91% of dry-mounted samples, some of which collected almost 200 years ago. We found both chemotypes to occur in the Far East, the presumed glacial refuge of the species, and their frequency to differ considerably between sites and geographic regions. The geographic structure in the chemotype frequencies could be the result of differential selection regimes and/or different dispersal routes during the colonization of the Western Palearctic. The presented data pave the route for disentangling these factors by providing information where to geographically sample O. spinipes for population genetic analyses. They also form the much-needed basis for future studies aiming to understand the evolutionary and geographic origin as well as the genetics of the astounding CHC profile dimorphism that O. spinipes females exhibit.

梅森黄蜂Odynerus菠菜显示了性内表皮碳氢化合物（CHC）轮廓二态性的特殊情况。该物种的雌性显示出两种CHC谱（化学型）中的一种，它们在质和量上互不相同。先前显示在德国南部的三个地点，两种化学型的比率接近1：1，考虑到该物种的古北纪分布，这可能无法代表。为了推断两种化学型在整个物种分布范围内的频率，我们使用GC-MS分析了1042个干式标本存储在私人和博物馆藏品中的CHC谱图。我们通过收集和保存专门用于研究其CHC的324个样本对样本进行了补充。我们能够可靠地识别91％干燥样品中的化学型，其中一些收集了将近200年前。我们发现两种化学型都发生在远东，是该物种的推测避难所，并且它们的发生频率在地点和地理区域之间也有很大差异。化学型频率中的地理结构可能是西古北定居期间差异选择机制和/或不同扩散途径的结果。所提供的数据通过提供在哪里进行地理采样的信息，为解开这些因素铺平了道路。化学型频率中的地理结构可能是西古北定居期间差异选择机制和/或不同扩散途径的结果。所提供的数据通过提供在哪里进行地理采样的信息，为解开这些因素铺平了道路。化学型频率中的地理结构可能是西古北定居期间差异选择机制和/或不同扩散途径的结果。所提供的数据通过提供在哪里进行地理采样的信息，为解开这些因素铺平了道路。O. spinipes用于种群遗传分析。它们还构成了未来研究的急需基础，旨在了解进化和地理起源以及刺槐雌性所表现出的惊人的CHC轮廓二态性的遗传学。