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Chemical profiles, division of labor and social status in Pachycondyla queens (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

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Abstract.

Queens of the neotropical ponerine ant Pachycondyla cf. 'inversa' may co-operate during colony founding. One of several co-founding queens specializes in foraging, whereas the others remain in the nest and guard the brood. Division of labor is achieved by aggressive interactions, which result in the formation of dominance hierarchies. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry of cuticular hydrocarbons obtained from live queens by SPME revealed consistent differences between the patterns of cuticular hydrocarbons of queens with high versus low rank: only high-ranking queens showed considerable amounts of cuticular pentadecane (n-C15) and heptadecene (n-C17:1). These two substances presumably originate from the queens' Dufour glands.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biologie I, Universität Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany, , , , ,

    K. Kolmer &  J. Heinze

  2. Organische Chemie, LS II, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestrasse 42, 91054 Erlangen, Germany, , , , ,

    J. Tentschert &  H.-J. Bestmann

  3. LS Tierphysiologie und Soziobiologie, Biozentrum, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany, , , , ,

    B. Hölldobler

  4. Laboratório de Mirmecologia, Convênio UESC/CEPLAC, CP 07, Itabuna, 45600-000 Bahia, Brazil, , , , ,

    J. Delabie

Authors
  1. J. Tentschert
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  2. K. Kolmer
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  3. B. Hölldobler
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  4. H.-J. Bestmann
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  5. J. Delabie
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  6. J. Heinze
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Accepted in revised form: 15 February 2001

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Tentschert, .J., Kolmer, .K., Hölldobler, .B. et al. Chemical profiles, division of labor and social status in Pachycondyla queens (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Naturwissenschaften 88, 175–178 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s001140100218

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s001140100218

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