Nestmate and kin recognition in interspecific mixed colonies of ants

Norman F. Carlin; Bert Hölldobler

doi:10.1126/science.222.4627.1027

Nestmate and kin recognition in interspecific mixed colonies of ants

Norman F. Carlin, Bert Hölldobler

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

137 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recognition of nestmates and discrimination against aliens is the rule in the social insects. The principal mechanism of nestmate recognition in carpenter ants (Camponotus) appears to be odor labels or "discriminators" that originate from the queen and are distributed among, and learned by, all adult colony members. The acquired odor labels are sufficiently powerful to produce indiscriminate acceptance among workers of different species raised together in artificially mixed colonies and rejection of genetic sisters reared by different heterospecific queens.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1027-1029
Number of pages	3
Journal	Science
Volume	222
Issue number	4627
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.222.4627.1027
State	Published - 1983
Externally published	Yes

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abstract = "Recognition of nestmates and discrimination against aliens is the rule in the social insects. The principal mechanism of nestmate recognition in carpenter ants (Camponotus) appears to be odor labels or {"}discriminators{"} that originate from the queen and are distributed among, and learned by, all adult colony members. The acquired odor labels are sufficiently powerful to produce indiscriminate acceptance among workers of different species raised together in artificially mixed colonies and rejection of genetic sisters reared by different heterospecific queens.",

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year = "1983",

doi = "10.1126/science.222.4627.1027",

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AU - Carlin, Norman F.

AU - Hölldobler, Bert

PY - 1983

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AB - Recognition of nestmates and discrimination against aliens is the rule in the social insects. The principal mechanism of nestmate recognition in carpenter ants (Camponotus) appears to be odor labels or "discriminators" that originate from the queen and are distributed among, and learned by, all adult colony members. The acquired odor labels are sufficiently powerful to produce indiscriminate acceptance among workers of different species raised together in artificially mixed colonies and rejection of genetic sisters reared by different heterospecific queens.

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JF - Science

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ER -

Nestmate and kin recognition in interspecific mixed colonies of ants

Abstract

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