Abstract
We investigated the chemistry of Dufour’s gland secretions in Formica argentea Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae), an understudied species common in the Western and Midwestern United States and Canada. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry reveals that undecane is the most prominent component in this ant’s Dufour’s gland extracts. Behavioral bioassays show that exposure to the compound significantly increases activity level in workers but does not act as a trail pheromone. This suggests an alarm function for undecane, which is consistent with other species of Formica. Taken with previous research, these findings provide evidence for evolutionary analyses of this character in this family of insects.
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Acknowledgments
Thanks to Barbara Demmig-Adams for her valuable help and support in initiating this research. This project was funded by a grant from the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program at University of Colorado-Boulder.
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Lenz, E.L., Krasnec, M.O. & Breed, M.D. Identification of Undecane as an Alarm Pheromone of the Ant Formica argentea . J Insect Behav 26, 101–108 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-012-9337-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-012-9337-5