TY - JOUR
T1 - Dufour gland secretions of Myrmica rugulosa and Myrmica schencki workers
AU - Attygalle, A. B.
AU - Cammaerts, M. C.
AU - Morgan, E. D.
PY - 1983
Y1 - 1983
N2 - The chemical composition and behavioural activities of the secretions of the Dufour glands of Myrmica rugulosa and M. schencki have been studied, as part of an extended study on Myrmica ants. Chemically, the Dufour gland of M. rugulosa is filled with a mixture of hydrocarbons dominated by straight chain alkanes and alkenes with 13 to 19 carbon atoms, as found in M. rubra. Significant quantities of (Z,E)-α-farnesene and its homologues, homofarnesene and bishomofarnesene, are also present. In M. schencki, the major compounds present are homofarnesene and bishomofarnesene. In both species, the very volatile portion of the Dufour gland secretion is identical to that analysed in M. rubra. From an ethological point of view, this very volatile part is efficient in attracting workers at a distance (6 to 8 cm) and in decreasing their wandering movements. No specificity was observed when performing cross-tests with Dufour glands freshly isolated from workers of other Myrmica species, but obvious specificities were detected when testing the less volatile part of the Dufour glands' contents, known to be used for marking newly discovered areas.
AB - The chemical composition and behavioural activities of the secretions of the Dufour glands of Myrmica rugulosa and M. schencki have been studied, as part of an extended study on Myrmica ants. Chemically, the Dufour gland of M. rugulosa is filled with a mixture of hydrocarbons dominated by straight chain alkanes and alkenes with 13 to 19 carbon atoms, as found in M. rubra. Significant quantities of (Z,E)-α-farnesene and its homologues, homofarnesene and bishomofarnesene, are also present. In M. schencki, the major compounds present are homofarnesene and bishomofarnesene. In both species, the very volatile portion of the Dufour gland secretion is identical to that analysed in M. rubra. From an ethological point of view, this very volatile part is efficient in attracting workers at a distance (6 to 8 cm) and in decreasing their wandering movements. No specificity was observed when performing cross-tests with Dufour glands freshly isolated from workers of other Myrmica species, but obvious specificities were detected when testing the less volatile part of the Dufour glands' contents, known to be used for marking newly discovered areas.
KW - Ants
KW - Dufour gland
KW - M. rugulosa
KW - M. schencki
KW - Myrmica
KW - farnesene
KW - hydrocarbons
KW - territorial marking
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U2 - 10.1016/0022-1910(83)90102-6
DO - 10.1016/0022-1910(83)90102-6
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0003043628
SN - 0022-1910
VL - 29
SP - 27
EP - 32
JO - Journal of Insect Physiology
JF - Journal of Insect Physiology
IS - 1
ER -