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Task-Related Variation of Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profiles Affect Nestmate Recognition in the Giant ant Dinoponera quadriceps

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Abstract

Recognition seems to be one of the more remarkable characteristics of social groups. In social insects, cuticular hydrocarbons are important for colonial recognition by providing a chemical signature for colony members. The acceptance threshold model predicts that colony members will accept conspecifics when the levels of nest mate cues dissimilarities are below the acceptance threshold. We tested the hypothesis that the encounter of a guard ant worker with a nurse may cause a delay in the process of recognition, because nurses from distinct colonies may share greater amount of chemical compounds. Dinoponera quadriceps guard workers decreased their effectiveness to recognize nurses rather than did to foragers. Alien foragers received significantly more bites and other stronger acts than non-nestmate nurses when they were experimentally introduced. In addition, guards took significantly more time to react against non-nestmate nurses than against alien foragers. Analysis of the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles corroborated our behavioural analysis that nurses from distinct colonies overlap greater amount of cuticular hydrocarbons.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank to Hans Kelstrup for his linguistic review in the earlier versions. We also thank to suggestions and improvements made by the anonymous referees. This study was supported by Fapesp (2010/10027-5 to FSN and 2007/01231-5 to ICTN).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, 14040-901, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil

    Fabio S. Nascimento & Ivelize C. Tannure-Nascimento

  2. Departamento de Biologia, CCBS, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, 49100-000, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil

    José O. Dantas

  3. Departamento de Física e Química, FCFRP, Universidade de São Paulo, 14040-901, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil

    Izabel C. Turatti & Norberto Peporine Lopes

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  1. Fabio S. Nascimento
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  2. Ivelize C. Tannure-Nascimento
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  3. José O. Dantas
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  4. Izabel C. Turatti
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  5. Norberto Peporine Lopes
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Correspondence to Fabio S. Nascimento.

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Nascimento, F.S., Tannure-Nascimento, I.C., Dantas, J.O. et al. Task-Related Variation of Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profiles Affect Nestmate Recognition in the Giant ant Dinoponera quadriceps . J Insect Behav 26, 212–222 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-012-9353-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-012-9353-5

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