Abstract
THE exocrine glands of ants are often found to contain blends of volatile chemicals1, but only rarely have distinct releaser properties been ascribed to different components of a single gland2–4. The African weaver ant Oecophylla longinoda is notoriously aggressive in defending its territory, and communication of alarm is rapid and efficient. Colony defence is carried out almost exclusively by the major workers, the minor caste remaining within the leaf-nest until this is directly disturbed5. This marked difference in behaviour may reflect a biochemical polymorphism, although this has not yet been reported for alarm pheromones of ants6. We have therefore initiated a detailed study of exocrine secretions that could be implicated in the control of alarm and defence in this ant. In the mandibular gland we have found over thirty compounds, some of which control separate aspects of behaviour. The mandibular gland contents also differ markedly among castes.
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BRADSHAW, J., BAKER, R. & HOWSE, P. Multicomponent alarm pheromones of the weaver ant. Nature 258, 230–231 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/258230a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/258230a0
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