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Isolation and Identification of Termite Trail-following Pheromone

Nature volume 219, pages 963–964 (1968)Cite this article

Abstract

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 species2,3. When the secretion is streaked across the surface of a solid object it has the power to guide the termite workers along that trail.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison

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

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  1. F. MATSUMURA
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  2. H. C. COPPEL
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  3. AKIRA TAI
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MATSUMURA, F., COPPEL, H. & TAI, A. Isolation and Identification of Termite Trail-following Pheromone. Nature 219, 963–964 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1038/219963a0

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