“…These glands produce a secretion containing more than 20 different compounds in Acromyrmex octospinosus (do Nascimento et al, 1996;Ortius-Lechner et al, 2000), and these are known to have bactericidal and fungicidal properties (Maschwitz, 1974, Beattie et al, 1985Ortius-Lechner et al, 2000;Bot et al, 2002;Poulsen et al, 2002a). The spread of gland secretion over the ant cuticle has previously been thought to be passive, but recent findings suggest that ants actively groom and apply the antibiotic secretion, especially in events of fungal infection (Bot et al, 2001b;Fernández-Marín et al, 2003, making it of hygienic importance for both the individual and the colony (Beattie et al, 1985(Beattie et al, , 1986Koob, 1970, 1971;Maschwitz et al, 1970;do Nascimento et al, 1996;Bot et al, 2002;Poulsen et al, 2002b). Angus et al (1993) examined the relationship between metapleural gland cell number and ant size and found a strong positive association between the two.…”