Nature 219, 963 - 964 (31 August 1968); doi:10.1038/219963a0

Isolation and Identification of Termite Trail-following Pheromone

F. MATSUMURA, H. C. COPPEL & AKIRA TAI

Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison.

INSECT pheromones that control chemically the behaviour of highly specialized social insect species have been well documented¹. One of these pheromones, termite trail-following substance, is secreted by the sternal glands of various species of termite workers apparently to mark the source of suitable wood for other workers of the same species^2,3. When the secretion is streaked across the surface of a solid object it has the power to guide the termite workers along that trail.

References

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