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Species Recognition from Postpharyngeal Gland Contents of Ants of the Cataglyphis bicolor Group

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Abstract

The Cataglyphis bicolor group of species of desert-dwelling ants, difficult to identify from morphological features alone, can be readily recognized by the contents of their postpharyngeal glands. Analysis by linked gas chromatography–mass spectrometry of glands from colonies identified only by code numbers showed in all samples straight and branched-chain alkanes and linear alkenes. C. viaticus, C. bicolor, and C. savignyi, the three species most difficult to distinguish morphologically, each contained distinctly different patterns of hydrocarbons, as illustrated by cluster analysis. The 16 most abundant hydrocarbons in the whole group of samples were selected and plotted as windrose diagrams. The differences in the windroses have more visual impact than gas chromatograms of the same data. The only case where there was any similarity was that between C. bicolor and C. diehlii, and even there the resemblance was not close. C. bombycinus is a sympatric species but is recognized as not belonging to the bicolor group by its different mandibular gland substances. It also was easily distinguished by its postpharyngeal gland contents from the other species.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, England, ST5 5BG

    Neil J. Oldham & E. David Morgan

  2. Department of Entomology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West, at 79th Street, New York, New York, 10024

    Donat Agosti

  3. Zoologisches Institut der Universität Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland

    Rudiger Wehner

Authors
  1. Neil J. Oldham
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  2. E. David Morgan
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  3. Donat Agosti
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  4. Rudiger Wehner
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Oldham, N.J., Morgan, E.D., Agosti, D. et al. Species Recognition from Postpharyngeal Gland Contents of Ants of the Cataglyphis bicolor Group. J Chem Ecol 25, 1383–1393 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020935011325

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020935011325

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