The mandibular glands as a source of sexual pheromones in virgin queens of<i>Polyergus rufescens</i>(Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Grasso, Donató A.; Visicchio, R.; Castracani, Cristina; Mori, Alessandra; Moli, F. Le

doi:10.1080/11250000309356522

Cited by 14 publications

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“…1 The basic absence in this gland secretion of substances other than 1 strongly supports the hypothesis that this compound is the sex pheromone used by females to call for males. The next step of our research will be a behavioral bioassay, which should clarify definitely the role of 1 in attracting P. rufescens males.…”

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“…5,7 Following this strategy, we have just published a report on the Dufour's gland content of workers of two ant species of the genus Messor, analyzed by SPME/GC/MS directly on the intact insect gland. 8 In a previous study, 1 we demonstrated the implication of mandibular glands of P. rufescens virgin queens in the attraction of males for mating. A similar result was reached in the American species P. breviceps.…”

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confidence: 98%

“…1 This strategy can be classified as an example of 'female-calling syndrome' and is typical of phylogenetically primitive species or socially parasitic ants. 2 The sources of ant sex pheromones released by calling females are various: the poison gland in several myrmicine species such as the Canadian slave-maker Harpagoxenus canadensis, Dufour's gland in the myrmicine Monomorium pharaonis and the pygidial gland in the ponerine Rhytidoponera metallica.…”

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Determination of the mandibular gland secretion of Polyergus rufescens queens by solid‐phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

et al. 2003

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Determination of the mandibular gland secretion of Polyergus rufescens queens by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry The mating pattern of the European amazon ant Polyergus rufescens is mainly characterized by the presence of isolated virgin queens that call for males through chemical signals. 1 This strategy can be classified as an example of 'female-calling syndrome' and is typical of phylogenetically primitive species or socially parasitic ants. 2 The sources of ant sex pheromones released by calling females are various: the poison gland in several myrmicine species such as the Canadian slave-maker Harpagoxenus canadensis, Dufour's gland in the myrmicine Monomorium pharaonis and the pygidial gland in the ponerine Rhytidoponera metallica. 3,4 Attempts to investigate the contents of these glands have been very limited: in Rhytidoponera metallica, the female pygidial gland includes isogeraniol and mhydroxybenzaldehyde; in four leptothorancine ants, the contents of the female poison gland have a predominance of 3-methyl-1-(3-methylbutyl)pyrrolidine.Usually, the mandibular gland is the source of sex pheromones in several ant species, whose mating pattern is defined as 'maleaggregation syndrome.' This reproductive strategy is characterized by the presence of species-specific mating sites for the gathering of both sexes. 2 In some genera such as Pogonomyrmex, the mandibular sex pheromones are attractants for females whereas in Camponotus herculeanus and in some species of the genera Atta and Acromyrmex, they are 'synchronizing' sex pheromones that induce the female nuptial flights. 3,4 Structural determination of pheromones is of great importance and nowadays it is conveniently performed by means of coupled gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric (GC/MS) techniques. 5 Conventionally, pheromones are sampled by solvent extraction of the whole insect or of the producer glands, or by trapping the volatile pheromones by an absorbent matrix and then eluting the absorbed molecules with a solvent. 6 Recently, the newly developed solidphase microextraction (SPME) technique has been also successfully exploited for pheromone analysis. 5,7 Following this strategy, we have just published a report on the Dufour's gland content of workers of two ant species of the genus Messor, analyzed by SPME/GC/MS directly on the intact insect gland. 8 In a previous study, 1 we demonstrated the implication of mandibular glands of P. rufescens virgin queens in the attraction of males for mating. A similar result was reached in the American species P. breviceps. 9 In this letter, we present the chemical analysis by SPME/GC/MS of the mandibular gland content of virgin queens of the European slave-making ant Polyergus rufescens.Virgin queens of P. rufescens were collected at the entrance of four different nests in the field area of the University Campus in Parma (Italy) during summer 2002. Mandibular glands were dissected from ants and individually placed at the bottom of a 5 cm thin-walled glass capillary of 1.28 mm ...

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Determination of the mandibular gland secretion of Polyergus rufescens queens by solid‐phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

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“…) and P. rufescens (Grasso et al . ); as an antimicrobial substance in Calomyrmex workers (Brough ); as an attraction pheromone for workers in queens of Myrmica rubra , M. rugulosa and M. schencki (Cammaerts ; Cammaerts et al . ); as a nestmate recognition pheromone in A. laevigata (Hernández et al .…”

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Functional morphology of the mandibular gland of queens of the ant Monomorium pharaonis (L.)

et al. 2012

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In this study, the functional morphology of the mandibular glands of pharaoh ant queens is investigated through histological and behavioural observations. The mandibular glands of queens of different age stages and mating status were examined at the light microscopical as well as the ultrastructural level. The results clearly show a high activity of the gland at the time of hatching, followed by a rapid degeneration independent of the queens' mating status. We therefore hypothesize the glandular secretion serves to stimulate workers to remove the queens' pupal skin. Experiments to compare hatching ability of isolated pupae and pupae assisted by workers confirmed the necessity of worker assistance, which is even more crucial to allow proper wing formation in queens and males. Together with the histological data, this suggests that the mandibular gland may indeed play a role in the social facilitation of hatching, although bioassays are required to give decisive answers about the mandibular gland's function.

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“…In fact, secretions from this gland are discharged in the air through a peculiar curved slit of the mandible cuticle and convey signals by which virgin females attract males for mating. Female calling by mandibular gland secretions is a rare phenomenon in ants, and in P. rufescens may be regarded as an adaptation to the parasitic life (Grasso et al 2003(Grasso et al , 2004.…”

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Morpho-functional comparison of the Dufour gland in the female castes of the Amazon ant Polyergus rufescens (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

et al. 2005

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The Dufour gland is crucially involved in main aspects of the parasite habit of the slave-making ant Polyergus rufescens, i.e. slave-raids and host colony usurpation. Workers use chemicals from this gland as recruitment signals during raid organization, while newly-mated queens use its secretion to appease residents during host nest invasion. Here, we report a comparison of the general morphology and fine structure of the Dufour gland in the female castes of P. rufescens: queens, ergatogynes (intermediate forms), and workers. The analysis clearly shows the link between gland structure and its behavioural role in queens and workers. In particular, queens present a hypertrophied gland with an extended lumen and a thin epithelium no more active in secretory function. This is consistent with the fact that usurper queens use the Dufour gland contents only during the short phase of host nest penetration. Contrary to adult queens, the cytoplasmic organization of the Dufour gland epithelium of raiders is typical for a tissue with secretory activity (abundance of mitochondria, free ribosomes, strands of smooth endoplasmic reticulum and a Golgi apparatus). This is consistent with the continuous raiding activity performed by workers throughout their adult life. The biology of ergatogynes is still an enigmatic matter. Their Dufour gland is intermediate in shape and size between that of queens and workers. It presents a fairly thick epithelium with features that are typical of a quite active secretory tissue.

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The mandibular glands as a source of sexual pheromones in virgin queens ofPolyergus rufescens(Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Cited by 14 publications

References 23 publications

Determination of the mandibular gland secretion of Polyergus rufescens queens by solid‐phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Determination of the mandibular gland secretion of Polyergus rufescens queens by solid‐phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Functional morphology of the mandibular gland of queens of the ant Monomorium pharaonis (L.)

Morpho-functional comparison of the Dufour gland in the female castes of the Amazon ant Polyergus rufescens (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

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