Chemotaxonomic Studies of Ants: Free Amino Acids

Abstract

Can. Em. 101: 1207-1213 (1969) Extracts of free amino acids from six species of ants (Pogonomyrmex barbatus (F. Smith), P. occidentalis (Cresson), Tapinoma sessile (Say), Camponotus pennsylvanicus (DeGeer) , Conomymza pyramica (Roger), and Novomessor cockerelli (E. AndrC) were analyzed by thin layer, one and two dimensional paper chromatography, and an automatic amino acid analyzer to determine the potential use of qualitative and(or) quantitative data of the free amino acid composition of ants in taxonomic studies. The results demonstrate that no significant qualitative differences exisr, but that the automatic amino acid analyzer may be used to show significant quantitative differences in the free amino acid composition of the ants studied.