TY - JOUR
T1 - Ethological studies of the mandibular gland secretion of the ant Manica rubida (Formicidae: Myrmicinae)
AU - Cammaerts, Marie Claire
AU - Attygalle, Athula B.
AU - Vostrowsky, Otto
AU - Bestmann, Hans Jürgen
PY - 1988
Y1 - 1988
N2 - The movement reactions of Manica rubida workers to their own mandibular glands, and the compounds present in the gland, were analysed. Compared to control stimuli, more ants reach and surround crushed heads of conspecific workers when presented on foraging areas. Also, the workers spend more time near crushed heads; they are attracted by the mandibular gland volatiles, and are then induced to walk more quickly and a little more sinuously. Manicone, the main constituent in the gland, releases similar but stronger aggregating, loco-stimulating and attractive effects. Homonanicone, the second major component, elicits some arresting effects, and acts together with manicone to produce the entire ethological activity investigated in this study. On the other hand, workers react to 4-methyl-3-hexanone and to 4-methyl-3-heptanone as to alien products. They are rather confused when perceiving normanicone. Thus, the last three substances do not appear to play a significant role in realising the ethological effects observed in this study.
AB - The movement reactions of Manica rubida workers to their own mandibular glands, and the compounds present in the gland, were analysed. Compared to control stimuli, more ants reach and surround crushed heads of conspecific workers when presented on foraging areas. Also, the workers spend more time near crushed heads; they are attracted by the mandibular gland volatiles, and are then induced to walk more quickly and a little more sinuously. Manicone, the main constituent in the gland, releases similar but stronger aggregating, loco-stimulating and attractive effects. Homonanicone, the second major component, elicits some arresting effects, and acts together with manicone to produce the entire ethological activity investigated in this study. On the other hand, workers react to 4-methyl-3-hexanone and to 4-methyl-3-heptanone as to alien products. They are rather confused when perceiving normanicone. Thus, the last three substances do not appear to play a significant role in realising the ethological effects observed in this study.
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U2 - 10.1016/0022-1910(88)90146-1
DO - 10.1016/0022-1910(88)90146-1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0003492320
SN - 0022-1910
VL - 34
SP - 347
EP - 350
JO - Journal of Insect Physiology
JF - Journal of Insect Physiology
IS - 4
ER -