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Alarm Pheromones and Sociality in Pre-Social Insects

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Chemical Ecology of Insects

Abstract

Chemical alarm signals operate when interacting individuals are aggregated or in close proximity. It is not unexpected, then, that such signals are well-developed in the social insects and relatively uncommon in pre-social species. Outside the social insects, chemical alarm systems are best developed in two homopteran groups: aphids and treehoppers. In this chapter, we discuss alarm pheromones and their social context in these and other pre-social insects and suggest modes of their evolution.

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Authors
  1. L. R. Nault
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  2. P. L. Phelan
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology and Department of Physiology & Cell Biology, University of Kansas, 66045, Lawrence, Kansas, USA

    William J. Bell (Professor of Entomology) (Professor of Entomology)

  2. Department of Entomology, University of Massachusetts, 01003, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    Ring T. Cardé (Professor of Entomology) (Professor of Entomology)

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© 1984 William J. Bell and Ring T. Cardé

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Nault, L.R., Phelan, P.L. (1984). Alarm Pheromones and Sociality in Pre-Social Insects. In: Bell, W.J., Cardé, R.T. (eds) Chemical Ecology of Insects. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3368-3_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3368-3_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-412-23260-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-3368-3

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