Abstract
Workers of the amblyoponine species Mystrium rogeri employ trail communication during recruitment to food sources and new nest sites. The trail pheromone originates from a hitherto unknown sternal gland located in the 7th abdominal sternite. The recruiting ant deposits the gland secretions by a special gaster-dragging behavior. The recruitment behavior can be complemented by a rapid vertical body shaking performed by some recruiting ants inside the nest. M. rogeri workers possess a large pygidial gland, the secretion of which elicits a repellent response in other ant species.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 119-123 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Chemoecology |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1998 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Chemical defense
- Motor display
- Pygidial glands
- Recruitment pheromone
- Sternal glands
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Biochemistry