The effect of antennalectomy on attack behaviour of<i>Formica lugubris</i>Zett. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Moli, F. Le; Mori, Alessandra; Parmigiani, Stefano

doi:10.1080/11250008309439444

Cited by 3 publications

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References 18 publications

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“…Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles, detected by ants through antennal contact, are thought to be compared to a template that defines group membership (LeMoli et al, 1983;Vander Meer and Morel, 1998). Differences from the template can lead to a behavioural recognition response such as aggression.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural complexity of chemical recognition cues affects the perception of group membership in the ants Linephithema humile and Aphaenogaster cockerelli

Greene

Gordon

2007

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARY Hydrocarbon profiles on the cuticle of social insects act as multi-component recognition cues used to identify membership in a species, a colony or, within colonies, cues about its reproductive status or task group. To examine the role of structural complexity in ant hydrocarbon recognition cues, we studied the species recognition response of two ant species, Linepithema humile and Aphaenogaster cockerelli, and the recognition of conspecifics by L. humile. The cuticular hydrocarbons of ants are composed of molecules of varying chain lengths from three structural classes, n-alkanes, methyl-branched alkanes and n-alkenes. We employed species recognition bioassays that measured the aggressive response of both species of ants to mixtures of hydrocarbon classes, single structural classes of hydrocarbons (n-alkanes,methyl-branched alkanes and n-alkenes), and controls. The results showed that a combination of at least two hydrocarbon structural classes was necessary to elicit an aggressive species recognition response. Moreover, no single class of hydrocarbons was more important than the others in eliciting a response. Similarly, in the recognition of conspecifics, Linepithema humile did not respond to a mixture of n-alkane cuticular hydrocarbons presented alone, but supplementation of nestmate hydrocarbon profiles with the n-alkanes did elicit high levels of aggression. Thus both L. humile and A. cockerelli required mixtures of hydrocarbons of different structural classes to recognize species and colony membership. It appears that information on species and colony membership is not in isolated components of the profile, but instead in the mixture of structural classes found in cuticular hydrocarbon profiles.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural complexity of chemical recognition cues affects the perception of group membership in the ants Linephithema humile and Aphaenogaster cockerelli

Greene

Gordon

2007

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Variation in ant aggression and kin discrimination ability within and between colonies

Crosland

1990

J Insect Behav

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Nestmate Recognition and Kin Recognition in Ants

et al. 2000

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All ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) are highly eusocial insects that are characterized by reproductive division of labor with sterile castes (worker and soldier) helping fertile castes (queen and male) to reproduce. Ant societies, like other complex animal societies, have developed a sophisticated communication system, in which recognition behaviors are frequently involved Recognition abilities allow individuals to orient and modulate their behaviors effectively and appropriately in response to the characteristics andlor signals expressed by other organisms. Among recognition behaviors, nestmate recognition and kin recognition mechanisms have attracted great attention of sociobiologists, ecologists, insect physiologists and biochemists since 1970's. This is parallel with the popularization of Hamilton's kin selection theory. The present paper aims at reviewing the current understanding on nestmate/kin recognition in ants. This review consists of three parts. The first part concerns the diversity of recognition behaviors and their ecological implications with emphasis on nestmatelkin recognition; in the second part, the current understandings on the mechanism of nestmatelkin recognition are outlined; and in the third part, we discuss the ontogenetic development of nestmate recognition behavior and naturally mixed colonies. The study of the integration mechanism of social parasite may provide heuristic clues to the understanding of kin/nestmate recognition system.

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The effect of antennalectomy on attack behaviour ofFormica lugubrisZett. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Cited by 3 publications

References 18 publications

Structural complexity of chemical recognition cues affects the perception of group membership in the ants Linephithema humile and Aphaenogaster cockerelli

Structural complexity of chemical recognition cues affects the perception of group membership in the ants Linephithema humile and Aphaenogaster cockerelli

Variation in ant aggression and kin discrimination ability within and between colonies

Nestmate Recognition and Kin Recognition in Ants

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