Queen power in relation to age and mating status in the Argentine antIridomyrmex humilis (Mayr)

Cariou-Etienne, A.; Passera, Luc

doi:10.1007/bf01338834

Cited by 8 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Nevertheless, the correlation between cuticular hydrocarbons and ovarian activity in L. humile may be involved in other aspects of the regulation of reproduction. (i) Previous studies have shown that reproductive queens, but not winged queens, of L. humile are highly attractive to nestmates workers (Aron, 1992;Keller, 1988;, and that attractiveness strongly increases when queens start to lay eggs (Cariou-Etienne and Passera, 1993). Moreover, queen corpses washed in pentane became significantly less attractive than untreated ones (Cariou and Passera, 1990).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Ovarian activity correlates with extreme changes in cuticular hydrocarbon profile in the highly polygynous ant, Linepithema humile

Biseau

Passera

Daloze

et al. 2004

Journal of Insect Physiology

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In social insects, cuticular hydrocarbons of adults may vary with ovarian activity. Such variations are suggested to function in the regulation of reproduction within colonies. The modification of the CH profile with ovarian activity is usually interpreted as a signal of fertility causing workers to refrain from reproducing in the presence of the queen. We examined the effect of ovarian activity on the CH profiles in the Argentine ant Linepithema humile, a species where workers lack ovaries and are completely sterile. Our data show considerable differences in the CH profiles between fertile and infertile individuals. These differences are mainly qualitative. The CH profile strongly changes at the start of egg laying, both in mated and unmated queens. These results show that variation in cuticular hydrocarbons with ovarian activity in ants is not restricted to species with worker reproduction. We propose that in the Argentine ant, the cuticular hydrocarbons of laying queens correspond to a signal of fertility involved in the regulation of various aspects of reproduction, such as the rearing of new sexuals.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Ovarian activity correlates with extreme changes in cuticular hydrocarbon profile in the highly polygynous ant, Linepithema humile

Biseau

Passera

Daloze

et al. 2004

Journal of Insect Physiology

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“…Reproductive activity has been associated with pheromone production by queens in several ant species (reviewed in Cariou‐Etienne & Passera 1993). In general, mated, egg‐laying queens are attractive to workers, whereas young winged virgin queens which are not yet reproductively active elicit little or no response.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reproductive development and ontogeny of queen pheromone production in the fire ant Solenopsis invicta

Vargo

1999

Physiological Entomology

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Queens of the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, produce several releaser and primer pheromones. Using bioassays, the ontogeny of three of these pheromones related to reproductive development was investigated. Virgin queens, in which the process of wing‐shedding (dealation) serves as an indicator of the initiation of reproductive development, were studied. First, the production of two queen pheromones produced in the poison gland was examined. The pheromone responsible for initiation and maintenance of retinue formation, a releaser effect, was found to be produced in detectable quantities 2 days after dealation, at which time queens showed significant ovary development and many (30%) had started laying eggs. A primer pheromone that inhibits alate virgin queens from dealating was detected in queens 3 days following wing‐shedding, when 80% of the queens were ovipositing. Second, I examined the onset of a pheromone of unknown glandular origin produced by reproductively active virgin queens which leads to their destruction in queenright colonies by stimulating workers to attack and kill them. This pheromone is secreted in quantities detectable by bioassay 2 days after dealation. Thus, in S. invicta, the ontogeny of three distinct queen pheromones is tightly linked with ovary development and initiation of egg laying. These results demonstrate reproductive and communicative functions are closely associated during the transition from potential to functional queen.

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10.1007/BF02382254

2011

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Queen power in relation to age and mating status in the Argentine antIridomyrmex humilis (Mayr)

Cited by 8 publications

References 15 publications

Ovarian activity correlates with extreme changes in cuticular hydrocarbon profile in the highly polygynous ant, Linepithema humile

Ovarian activity correlates with extreme changes in cuticular hydrocarbon profile in the highly polygynous ant, Linepithema humile

Reproductive development and ontogeny of queen pheromone production in the fire ant Solenopsis invicta

10.1007/BF02382254

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