Journal
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY A-NEUROETHOLOGY SENSORY NEURAL AND BEHAVIORAL PHYSIOLOGY
Volume 200, Issue 2, Pages 129-137Publisher
SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
DOI: 10.1007/s00359-013-0868-9
Keywords
Column foraging; Harvester ants; 1-phenylethanol; Poison gland; Recruitment
Categories
Funding
- ASU Foundation
Ask authors/readers for more resources
We combined behavioral analyses in the laboratory and field to investigate chemical communication in the formation of foraging columns in two Nearctic seed harvesting ants, Messor pergandei and Messor andrei. We demonstrate that both species use poison gland secretions to lay recruitment trails. In M. pergandei, the recruitment effect of the poison gland is enhanced by adding pygidial gland secretions. The poison glands of both species contain 1-phenyl ethanol. Minute quantities (3 mu l of a 0.1 ppm solution) of 1-phenyl ethanol drawn out along a 40 cm long trail released trail following behavior in M. pergandei, while M. andrei required higher concentrations (0.5-1 ppm). Messor pergandei workers showed weak trail following to 5 ppm trails of the pyrazines 2,5-dimethylpyrazine and 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, whereas M. andrei workers showed no behavioral response. Minute quantities of pyrazines were detected in M. pergandei but not in M. andrei poison glands using single ion monitoring gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available