Abstract
The monocyclic 14-membered ring diterpene, cembrene-A, previously identified as a nasutitermitine trail pheromone, was tested for its effectiveness as a trail pheromone inNasutitermes costalis. Artificial trails prepared from serial dilutions of racemic cembrene-A over a concentration range of 10−1–10−6 mg/ml were ineffective in recruiting termites. Serial dilutions of racemic cembrene-A ranging in concentration from 10−1 to 10−5 mg/ml produced an orientation effect. Chiral cembrene-A produced recruitment in soldiers at 10−1 and 10−3 mg/ml and was less ineffective in recruiting workers. Soldiers always showed a lower and more variable recruitment response to chiral cembrene-A than to sternal gland extracts. The behavioral response to both chiral and racemic cembrene-A was different in quantity and quality from that observed for sternal gland extract. Based on the results of these behavioral tests, cembrene-A appears to be a generalized nasute orientation pheromone which may show recruitment properties at unnaturally high concentrations.
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Hall, P., Traniello, J.F.A. Behavioral bioassays of termite trail pheromones. J Chem Ecol 11, 1503–1513 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01012196
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01012196