Alkyl-Dimethylpyrazines in Mandibular Gland Secretions of Four Odontomachus Ant Species (Formicidae: Ponerinae)

Sihang Xu, Ramu Errabeli, Donald H. Feener, Katherine Noble, Athula B. Attygalle

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ponerine ants are known to contain mixtures of pyrazines in their mandibular glands. We analyzed the mandibular gland contents of four ponerine species (Odontomachus chelifer, O. erythrocephalus, O. ruginodis, and O. bauri) by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, and found that each species contains specific mixtures of trisubstituted alkylpyrazines among other volatiles. Attempts to identify alkylpyrazines solely by mass spectral interpretation is unrealistic because spectra of positional isomers are indistinguishable. To avoid misidentifications, we synthesized a large number of reference compounds and compared their mass spectral and gas chromatographic properties with those present in the Odontomachus species under investigation. Most of the compounds identified were 2-alkyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazines. Interestingly, when the third substituent was an isopentyl group, the two methyl groups were found to be located at the 2 and 5 ring positions. Using our data, we recognized several misidentifications in previous publications.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)444-451
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Chemical Ecology
Volume44
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 May 2018

Keywords

  • Alkylpyrazines
  • Odontomachus bauri
  • Odontomachus chelifer
  • Odontomachus erythrocephalus
  • Odontomachus ruginodis
  • Pheromones
  • Retention indices

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