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. 2011:11:31.
doi: 10.1673/031.011.0131.

The trail pheromone of the venomous samsum ant, Pachycondyla sennaarensis

Ashraf Mohamed Ali Mashaly  1 , Ashraf Mohamed Ahmed, Mosa Abdullah Al-Abdullah, Mohamed Saleh Al-Khalifa
Affiliations

The trail pheromone of the venomous samsum ant, Pachycondyla sennaarensis

Ashraf Mohamed Ali Mashaly et al. J Insect Sci. 2011.

Abstract

Ant species use branching networks of pheromone trails for orientation between nest and resources. The current study demonstrated that workers of the venomous samsum ant, Pachycondyla sennaarensis (Mayr) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae), employ recruitment trail pheromones discharged from the Dufour's gland. Secretions of other abdomen complex glands, as well as hindgut gland secretions, did not evoke trail following. The optimum concentration of trail pheromone was found to be 0.1 gland equivalent/40 cm trail. This concentration demonstrated effective longevity for about one hour. This study also showed that P. sennaarensis and Tapinoma simrothi each respond to the trail pheromones of the other species as well as their own.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Number of Pachycondyla sennaarensis workers recruited by hexane extracts of, whole abdomen, hindgut contents, pygidial, or Dufour's gland secretions. Hexane was used as the control. Error bars represent the standard errors of the mean of five replicates. * Significant difference compared to control. High quality figures are available online.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Number of Pachycondyla sennaarensis workers responding to an artificial trail of different concentrations of whole abdomen extract. Error bars represent the standard errors of the mean of five replicates. High quality figures are available online.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Longevity of the trail pheromone of Pachycondyla sennaarensis. Error bars represent the standard errors of the mean of five replicates. High quality figures are available online.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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