Premium
Exocrine chemistry of the myrmicine ant Zacryptocerus pusillus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Author(s) -
Morgan E. David,
Keegans Sarah J.,
Billen Johan
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
archives of insect biochemistry and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.576
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1520-6327
pISSN - 0739-4462
DOI - 10.1002/arch.20136
Subject(s) - hymenoptera , exocrine gland , biology , nonanal , ant , exocrine secretion , insect , zoology , biochemistry , anatomy , botany , ecology , food science , secretion
Minor workers of the ant Zacryptocerus pusillus have unusual exocrine secretions in both their mandibular and Dufour glands. The mandibular glands contain a 3:1 mixture of 4‐heptanone and 4‐heptanol, a mixture found only in the related species Z. varians. The Dufour gland contains a mixture of 13 aldehydes from C 9 to C 18 , not previously encountered in ant secretions. The venom glands gave variable results with only nonanal present consistently. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 63:11–14, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.