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(3Z,6Z,8E)-3,6,8-Dodecatrien-1-ol: Sex pheromone in a higher fungus-growing termite,Pseudacanthotermes spiniger (Isoptera, macrotermitinae)

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Abstract

The female sex pheromone of the fungus-growing termitePseudacanthotermes spiniger (Termitidae, Macrotermitinae) was isolated from sternal glands of alates. The compound inducing attraction and excitation in males was identified as the (3Z,6Z,8E)-3,6,8-dodecatrien-1-ol by GC-MS, microhydrogenation, GC-FTIR, and NMR. This unsaturated alcohol is present in both sexes but in much higher quantities in females than in males (about 10 times). The hypothesis is suggested that this alcohol, which is detected at extremely low concentrations by the workers ofP. spiniger, may be used either as a trail-following pheromone or a sex pheromone according to concentrations and to target castes. The presence of this alcohol in Macrotermitinae reinforces the idea of a phylogenetic proximity between this subfamily of higher termites and the lower termites Rhinotermitidae, where the unsaturated alcohol was previously found. The sternal glands of alates ofP. spiniger also contain a geometric isomer of (3Z,6Z,8E)-3,6,8-dodecatrien-1-ol.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université de Bourgogne, Zoologie, U A CNRS 674, 6 Bd. Gabriel, 21000, Dijon, France

    Christian Bordereau, Alain Robert & Odile Bonnard

  2. Département de Biologie, Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku, BP 943, Franceville, Gabon

    Alain Robert

  3. Laboratoire de Recherches sur les Arômes, INRA, 17 rue de Sully, 21000, Dijon, France

    Jean -Luc Le Quere

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  1. Christian Bordereau
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  2. Alain Robert
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  3. Odile Bonnard
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  4. Jean -Luc Le Quere
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Bordereau, C., Robert, A., Bonnard, O. et al. (3Z,6Z,8E)-3,6,8-Dodecatrien-1-ol: Sex pheromone in a higher fungus-growing termite,Pseudacanthotermes spiniger (Isoptera, macrotermitinae). J Chem Ecol 17, 2177–2191 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00988000

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