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Multicomponent alarm pheromones in the mandibular glands of major workers of the African weaver ant, Oecophylla longinoda
Author(s) -
BRADSHAW J. W. S.,
BAKER R.,
HOWSE P. E.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
physiological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-3032
pISSN - 0307-6962
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3032.1979.tb00173.x
Subject(s) - biology , attraction , biting , alarm , sex pheromone , pheromone , zoology , ecology , engineering , philosophy , linguistics , aerospace engineering
. The complex system of alarm communication in Oecophylla longinoda is described. The mandibular gland secretion of major workers releases in other major workers a complex pattern of behaviour, which includes components of alerting, attraction and biting. The main constituents of the secretion are hexanal and 1‐hexanol, which release alerting and attraction respectively. Of the thirty or so trace components, at least two, 2‐butyl‐2‐octenal and 3‐undecanone, act as markers for attack. In combination, these components produce a sequential message in space and time, dependent on their relative proportions, volatilities and threshold concentrations for behavioural reponses.