This article primarily concerns itself with fine distinctions between the instincts, rather than a general description, stackings analysis, or the relation of instincts to the core type (which I plan to deal with separately).
SELF-PRESERVATION: seeking the fulfillment of survival needs. Hudson's zones: self-care/health, practicality/resources, domesticity/home.
SEXUAL: seeking the fulfillment of chemistry or intensity needs. Hudson's zones: attraction/magnetism, exploration & edge, fusion/merging.
SOCIAL: seeking the fulfillment of being a part within a larger whole. Hudson's zones: reading people, creating & maintaining connections, participation & contribution.
[A major distinction between the sexual and social instincts is that the sexual instinct emphasizes intensity and the social does not.]
I will start by discussing some needs, described by Maslow which cannot be seen as corresponding to any one instinct specifically.
TRUST: trust, of course, is integral to stability for any relational need. SP seeks a familial trust, a camaraderie between those in immediacy, which in a way secures their survival. However, any SP-related relationship need at all can be considered as being due to the influence of an auxiliary presence, and as such, SP doesn't usually seek more than a generalized friendly, decidedly non-hostile sentiment. SX, on the other hand, desires a trust regarding the intensity of the bond, that is, both parties are sufficiently engaged by the power of the connection. Without a strong secondary SP-component, SX is usually not so grieved by the ephemeral, short-circuit nature of their connections. Rephrased, trust in SX is geared towards the spiritual and transcendent: it has to know the other can handle their intensity wihtout collapsing, and that they are a sufficient conduit for ecstacy, spirituality, transcendence, and general pleasure. SO seeks trust in (a) their position as a part within the whole, and (b) the whole itself. Here, the auxiliary instincts serve as feelers of sorts for gauging one's place within a larger context. "(a)" can be related to roles, status, esteem, friendship (role-based = so/sp, intimacy-based = so/sx), acceptance, belonging, and even a (philiac) love. "(b)" can be related to politics, sociocultural identity, and group welfare.
LOVE and AFFECTION: can be understood as an assurance of trust. Love and affection correspond to the trust forms listed above.
PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS: it is tempting to group these under SP, but they are essential to the basic homeostasis crucial to the functioning of all instinctual drives. SP can be partly understood as the concern with their (relatively) superfluous furtherance, rather than their basic fulfillment which is too engrained into all biological systems to be entirely assigned.
COGNITIVE / AESTHETIC NEEDS: superfluous desires to understand and beautify, respectively. Despite their ubiquity there are certainly instinctual distinctions to be drawn. SP fulfills these desires as an extension of safety and survival needs, to provide comfort and support to themselves. SX fulfills them as an extension of their desire for eros and transcendence. SO does so as an extension of lower-esteem needs.
HIGHER-ESTEEM NEEDS: whereas lower-esteem needs (i.e. receiving respect from others) can be attributed to average & unhealthy social, higher-esteem refers to self-respect, which I understand as being comprised of self-worth and self-efficacy, provided by one's own standards regarding such concepts. SP fulfills these through a pragmatic streak, SX through more ready attainment of heightened states, and SO through their functioning within a whole, as an interacting and dynamic part.
SELF-ACTUALIZATION: obviously, this is something which people of all instincts share. SX is most obvious in its desire for an orgasmic transformation, a continual renewal of self, the process is like the continual crashing of waves. SX is probably most concerned with realization of potentials, then. SO also is obvious with its primary aim of being the 'best' part it can be within a chosen sphere, but this is self-actualization in the realm of skills and services or contributions rather than potentials, necessarily. Although there can be a concern with relative potential if the SO is feeling insecure. SP is least obvious regarding self-actualization aims: forming a stronghold of the self, building one's own empire. This is less concerned with abilities and more with possessions, less comparative unless they feel threatened.
I will now talk about the instinct-specific concepts.
FURTHERANCE OF PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS: as aforementioned, the superfluous furtherance of physiological needs can be attributed to SP. This includes exploring one's idiosyncratic and hyper-specific preferences in things such as temperature, decorations, diet, sleep schedules, ergonomic clothing, etcetera.
SAFETY NEEDS and STORGE: this describes a deep concern for health and personal, emotional, and financial security.
EROS: while often manifested in a deep-seated passion for the erotic, it also appears in a desire for quasi-sexual intensity. You know, experiences which make your pupils dilate, increase your heart rate, etcetera.
TRANSCENDENCE: the sexual instinct is greatly concerned with transformative experiences which leave the constructed self behind, which raise the souls from their shells and inspire two to dance.
ACCEPTANCE, BELONGING, PHILIA: a need for friendship of the affective and mutual well-doing kind, friendships of the good variety. Makes itself manifest through appreciation of each other's redeeming qualities, support, and acknowledgment of contributions.
LOWER-ESTEEM NEEDS: refers to a need for respect from others as a primary source of esteem.